


One in a Million

by All_The_Legends_Are_True



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Closeted Alec Lightwood, Coming Out, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Malec, Mundane Alec Lightwood, Mundane Magnus Bane, Roommates, Supportive Isabelle Lightwood, Supportive Magnus Bane, i'll add more as the story goes on - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-06-20 01:10:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15522771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_The_Legends_Are_True/pseuds/All_The_Legends_Are_True
Summary: Alec Lightwood is a closeted, gay college student, studying his second year of teaching and education. He is a self-confessed introvert, and prefers to stay hidden in the crowd. Whilst his dorm room can accommodate two people, Alec had never been given a roommate, which Alec was happy with, as he has never been good at meeting new people. This all changes when the breath-taking Magnus Bane arrives though.





	1. The Utopian Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> This is a pretty long chapter, I know, but I wanted a pretty detailed introduction. From here, the chapters will probably be between 1,000 and 2,000 words. I've been planning on doing a College AU fic for a while now, so hopefully I do it justice.

"C'mon man, you're going to get fired before you get your first pay check!" Alec urged, leaning against the door frame. The figure under the covers groaned but didn't move. Alec rolled his eyes and walked into his brother's room. He reached the curtains and opened them, allowing light to fill the bedroom.

 

 

"Jace, do you want a lift to your stupid job or not?" Alec asked.

 

 

"Too early..." was the only response Alec got.

 

 

"It's also too early for you to lose this job, which you've had for a total of three days! Get your shit together. If you're not ready in 30 minutes, you'll be stuck with public transport." Alec said. He moved over to Jace's bed and dragged the sheets off him, tossing it across the room. Jace was quick to bury his face in his pillow to encase himself in darkness once again.

 

 

Alec sighed and muttered something along the lines of "I may as well be looking after a toddler". He spotted half-full glass of water on his bedside cabinet and acted instantly. He threw the water over him, gaining an immediate reaction.

 

 

Jace jumped up and began to drag his half-asleep self to the bathroom, shouting over his shoulder "Fine, I'm up!"

 

 

Alec smirked and went downstairs, satisfied that he had made his point. He found his sister in the kitchen. He could tell she was cooking, but to anyone else it would just look like she was on a first-class ticket to disaster.

 

 

Alec glanced at the contents on the kitchen side. He genuinely had no clue what she had made, which made him anxious. He decided to take the safe option and make some toast.

 

 

"Hey big brother." Izzy greeted him, frowning when she noticed him placing the bread in the toaster. "Do you not want any pancakes? I made them especially for you, in honour of your first day back at College!"

 

 

_So that's what she was making!_

 

 

"I'm good thanks Iz, I only want something small." Alec replied with a small smile.

 

"Bullshit." A voice said, coming from behind Izzy. They both turned around to see Jace in his work uniform, clearly unamused due to being woken up. "What he means, is he doesn't want to be killed before he can make it to College."

 

 

Izzy gave him a sarcastic smile, before whacking him with the tea towel in her hand. Alec laughed and shook his head at their immaturity. Whilst the other two fought it out, Alec poured himself a cup of coffee and looked through his phone.

 

 

**Mom:**

**1 new message**

**8:06am: Good luck with your first day at college, Alec. I know you are going to make me very proud. Max sends his best, also. Don't be scared to find yourself a girlfriend, just make sure she is good enough for you. Mom x**

 

 

Alec smiled at his mother's message but frowned when he read the last part. _Girlfriend_. He and his mother had become much closer since she divorced his father. He and Alec didn't have a great relationship, but that didn't bother him. The only thing that bothered him was the secret he was keeping from his Mom, and from every other human being - apart from Isabelle. Alec was gay.

 

 

He quickly replied with a small "Thanks, Mom x" and focused his attention back on his siblings, who had finally finished their playfighting.

 

 

"I just need to grab something, and then we can go, Alec." Jace explained, running upstairs. Izzy walked over to Alec and rested a hand on his shoulder.

 

 

"Everything okay?" She asked softly. Alec didn't say anything, he just handed her his phone, so that she could see the message for herself.

 

 

"Oh." Izzy said after realising what was bothering him. "Alec, don't let it get to your head, okay? Mom loves us all, you not having a girlfriend isn't going to change that." She advised.

 

 

"I know, it's just- I don't want to be known as 'the gay college kid'. Everyone gets labelled, and that's not what I want to be known as." Alec explained, burying his face in his hands.

 

 

"I know it's hard, Alec," Izzy began. She took a deep breath before continuing. "but you don't have to come out to the whole world straight away. Take it in small steps. Maybe start with Jace, then Max, then Mom, then your friends, and so on."

 

 

Alec scoffed slightly. "And Dad?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.  He folded his arms and smirked slightly, like the mere idea of coming out to his Father was the funniest joke to ever exist.

 

 

They weren't close to their Father. They never were to be fair, but it wasn't until they found out that he had been having an affair, causing him to betray their Mother that they decided they wanted

nothing to do with him anymore. He was strict, judgemental and to be totally honest, a complete asshole. The worst thing about him in Alec's opinion, was that he had very strong opinions of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

 

Izzy opened her mouth, and closed it again, unable to figure out how to respond to that. Eventually she sighed rested her hand on his arm. "It's down to you if and when you tell him, but whether he accepts you or not, who cares? He's an asshole."

 

 

"Who's an asshole?" Jace asked, walking back into the kitchen. Izzy and Alec both jumped and looked at their brother, who was now helping himself to Alec's uneaten toast.

 

 

Alec turned to Izzy, his eyes slightly widening, as if he doesn't know what to say.

 

 

"You are." Izzy replied, thinking quickly. "Nobody insults my cooking skills and gets away with it."

 

 

Jace rolled his eyes with a smirk. He turned his wrist towards him, so that he could see the time on his watch. "It's nearly 9, do you wanna get going?" He asked.

 

 

"Ideally, I wanted to leave 20 minutes ago, but since you prefer me to be your personal alarm clock, we couldn’t leave then." Alec explained half-serious, half-jokingly. He grabbed his car keys off the kitchen counter and made for the front door.

 

 

After loading his luggage into the car, he heard a small sniffle come from behind him. He span on the spot to see Izzy smiling at him with tears in her eyes. A smile tugged at his lips and he reached for her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

 

 

"I'm gonna miss you, big brother." She said, her voice muffled through the fabric of Alec's shirt.

 

 

"You make it sound like I'm never coming back!" Alec replied with a small laugh. "You do know I can come down and see you on weekends, right? And we can also text and call each other on weekdays."

 

 

Izzy loosened her grip on him and nodded. "Yeah I know, I just wanted to say it."

 

 

"Drama queen." Alec smirked, earning a shove from his sister.

 

 

"Shut up." Izzy laughed, before quickly hugging him once more, and kissing him on the cheek. "You're gonna do amazing, Alec! I expect messages every day, whether it's about boring work, or making friends, or your love life..."

 

 

Alec let out a small huff of laughter and shook his head when he heard the last part. “You have more chance of me becoming the captain of the cheerleader squad, Izzy.” He stated sarcastically. Izzy gave an expression that said _we’ll see_. “Okay I really have to go before Captain Blondie gets fired.” He added, throwing a glance to their brother who was already sat in the car.

 

 

Izzy grinned and nodded, before gesturing for Alec to get in the car. Alec did just that, and with a final wave, he drove off.

 

 

***

 

 

"Listen man, if anyone is gonna be receiving updates about your love life, it should be me." Jace said after a few minutes of driving, breaking the silence.

 

 

"Huh?"

 

 

"Well, I obviously know a 'lot more about chatting up girls than Izzy. So, I should be the one to talk to about them! I can give you pointers, pickup lines, y'know." He explained.

 

 

Alec tightened his grip on the steering wheel and held his breath. A couple of seconds later, he exhaled and replied. "Girls aren't really my focus at College, Jace." He began, before quickly continuing, to avoid giving Jace any hint of his sexuality. "What I mean, is that I want to focus on my course, rather than trying to get into a relationship."

 

Jace nodded. "Yeah I get it, but if you ever need advice-"

 

"I can talk to you, yeah I know." He cut in, before turning the radio on, to try and prevent this topic of continuing. He hated lying to him, but he just wasn't ready to talk about this with him yet. Even Izzy wasn't supposed to know, but he had no choice but to admit it to her, when he found an extract from one of his old journals, mentioning his crush on a guy from middle school. He tried to brush it off, by saying that he was writing a novel for a school assignment, and the person describing their crush, was the female lead. Izzy knew her brother very well though, so she could see right through his lies.

 

The rest of the car journey to Jace's work was quiet, apart from the radio playing classic rock songs in the background. When Alec eventually arrived at Jace's workplace, there was little time for a long goodbye, as Jace was probably seconds away from being fired for being late. The two brothers hugged and said their goodbyes, before Jace got out of the car and ran into the building. Alec chuckled at the speed that Jace moved - he must have been cutting it real close.

 

***

 

Luckily for Alec, there was surprising very little traffic, so he managed to get to college fairly quickly. With it being the weekend, Alec didn’t need to rush to be anywhere. He leaned back in the car seat, and grabbed his phone, to find two new messages.

 

**Izzy:**

**1 new message**

**You’re allowed to find guys cute, Alec. Don’t forget that. You'll get through this. I love you. X**

 

Alec smiled softly at her message and checked the second message.

 

**Maia:**

**1 new message**

**I’ll get there for around 11.30, Lightwood. I swear to God your ass had better be there, because I did not drag myself out of bed at 8am on a SATURDAY for you to get there after me.**

 

Alec laughed and shook his head. _Typical Maia_ he thought. He quickly checked the time on his watch, and saw that it was only 11:13am, so he had time. Maia was one of Alec’s closest friends, and also one of the only people to understand him as a person. Alec was an introvert and preferred to stay in his dorm rather than go partying. Others would just find him boring, but to Maia, this was just Alec’s usual behaviour.

 

Alec decided to get out the car at 11:20, giving him enough time to get his luggage and go to where Maia was expecting him to be. Unsurprisingly, there were very few people on the campus. Usually students don’t arrive for the start of term until the Sunday evening. That was why Alec liked arriving on the Saturday instead – so that there would be less hassle when getting signed in and getting settled.

 

 

Maia was 10 minutes late by the time he caught a glimpse of her emerging from behind a parked truck. She looked beautiful as always. ¾ length ripped denim jeans in a shade of light blue looked amazing with her plain white t-shirt, which had been given a knot front, to make it into a crop top. Her white slip-on shoes went with the outfit perfectly. Her make-up was subtle, and she didn’t have too many accessories, apart from a simple watch on her wrist, and a pair of gold hooped earrings.

 

 

“You know that you owe me big-time for forcing myself to come _here_ of all places on a _Saturday_ , right?” she asked with a grin.

 

 

Alec chuckled and nodded. “I know. How about I treat you to lunch?” he suggested. Maia looked at him for a moment with a facial expression that showed she was considering his offer.

 

 

“You’re so lucky that I love you, Lightwood.” She replied finally, playfully shoving him. They both laughed and began walking to the coffee shop on campus.

 

 

***

 

 

“So, how’s Izzy and Jack?” Maia asked, after taking a sip of her drink.

 

 

“Maia, you know very well that his name is Jace.” Alec smirked, quirking an eyebrow.

 

 

“Can we settle on _Asshat_? Maia compromised, with one of those _‘Please say yes!’_ smiles.

 

 

Alec smiled brightly. Even on his worse days, Maia was always able to make him laugh. Whilst today wasn’t one of Alec’s worse days, he was still worrying about the text message from his Mom. _Girlfriend_. How could he explain to his own mother that he didn’t want a girlfriend, and that he never would? How could he tell her that he wanted a _boyfriend_ – That he found men attractive... not women. Maia for example, he found very pretty, but there was no romantic attraction there for him. It was the same with every single woman he would look at. There were times where he would search the internet for ways to try and train yourself to find girls attractive. Nothing worked.

 

 

“Asshat is pretty damn accurate, so yes, we can settle on that.” Alec responded. “Izzy and Asshat are good, Iz has managed to get herself an apprenticeship at a local beauty parlour. She loves it, because she gets payed to train to do something that she loves. Jace is working in a restaurant not too far from home. It’s decent pay, but I think the only reason he is working there is because the owner lets him play piano for the customers on Fridays and Saturdays. He also has a girlfriend now.

 

 

“Woah really!? I thought he preferred being single and just having hook-ups?” Maia replied in disbelief.

 

 

“Yeah, but with this it’s different. The girl is annoying, but she’s kind. I was worried Jace would end up breaking her heart, but he seems to be serious about making this work. He takes her on dates frequently, he is prepared to take the relationship as slow as she wants. I’m happy for him.” Alec told her.

 

 

“Wow, who is he and what has he done with your brother?” Maia joked. “What’s her name?”

 

 

“Clarissa, but she prefers people to call her Clary.” Alec answered.

 

 

“Just like you prefer Alec to Alexander.” Maia compared. Alec nodded and diverted his attention to the waitress who had just walked over to them, holding their meals.

 

 

They ate their food and continued to catch up over what had been going on over Summer. Alec mentioned his parents’ divorce, and Maia talked about how she had finally broken it off with her (ex)boyfriend Jordan. Bad things aside, they also discussed Maia’s achievement of _finally_ passing her driving exam, and Alec’s holiday to Tenerife with Jace and Izzy.

 

 

***

 

 

By the time Alec finally reached his dorm room after spending time with Maia, it was almost 3:00pm. He dragged his luggage into his room and closed the door, before letting out a satisfied breath. He flicked the light switch on and looked at his room. Everything was exactly as it was when he left. His bed was on the right-hand side, with its (unsurprising) black duvet neatly made. The bedside table had only a digital alarm clock on it. _Boy, did he hate that damn thing and its annoying beep._ A small bookshelf was placed opposite his bed, a few books still there from before he left for summer. His computer desk was bare apart from a table lamp on the right, and a small photo frame on the left, with a picture of himself, Izzy, Jace, Max and his Mother from Christmas the year before.

 

 

His wall was also decorated with a few photos of his family and friends, including Izzy, Jace, Max, Maia, and his two other close friends, Will (Or Underhill as they called him), and Simon. He met Underhill on the day he started college, the year before, and they became good friends quite quickly. Simon was Maia’s friend from her college course, and that’s how Alec met him. He was a great guy, but once he’d start talking, there was no stopping him.

 

 

After unpacking, he immediately threw himself onto his bed, humming with satisfaction the second his head hit his pillow. His lengthy body caused his feet to hang over the end of the bed slightly. It was a short while before he heard someone bang on the door. By the sound if it, they were actually kicking the door. When he opened the door, he realised that he should have known who it would be.

 

 

Maia’s hands were full, with one holding a large pizza box, and the other holding a large bottle of pop. _No wonder she decided to knock with her feet._ Alec took hold of the pop and allowed Maia to come in.

 

 

“What’s all this?” he questioned.

 

 

“Well Alec,” Maia points to the pizza box before continuing. “ _This_ is called food. Humans tend to need this in order to survive. And the unusual plastic bottle, is called a drink. Just like food, we need it to prevent death.”

 

 

Alec tried to keep a serious face, but it was difficult to considering Maia was over-exaggerating every word she said. A small smirk formed at the corner of his mouth, and Maia grinned triumphantly, whilst taking a slice of pizza from the box.

 

 

“You know what I mean, Roberts.”

 

 

“I could lie and say I just wanted to spend the night with one of my closest friends, but I came bearing news. Raj told me to let you know that you’re getting a roommate this year.”

 

 

“And you expect me to believe that asshole?” Alec scoffed, a glimmer of hope still residing in him.

 

 

“He had proof.” Maia replied with a sigh.

 

 

Alec’s heart sank. He loved having his own room. Not because he was selfish – in fact, he was far from it – but because he had never been a _people_ person. He was terrible at speaking to people he didn’t know, so usually he would try to keep conversations with them to a minimum. This was not going to end well.

 

 

“Did you see his name?”

 

 

“I saw it, but I can’t remember exactly. I think it started with M but I’m not certain.”

 

 

Alec let out a frustrated groan and buried his face in his hands. “Well that’s just great... I hope he won’t be one of those party animals... I don’t fancy waking up to a hungover roommate, throwing his guts up after a night out.”

 

 

“ **Alec!”** Maia snapped, causing him to come out of hiding. “Will you stop being so damn pessimistic? Not all college kids are party animals – and even if he is, so what! If he has any decency in him, he will respect that you aren’t like that, and discuss it with you so you can _both_ be happy!”

 

 

At this, Alec gave in with a shrug. “Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t judge him before I meet him.”

 

 

“Exactly, now Mr Pessimistic, eat some of this pizza before it goes cold.” Maia ordered. Alec grinned, when he realised that Maia’s bossiness was just like Izzy’s bossiness _. ‘No wonder Maia and Izzy get along so well.’_ He thought.

 

 

***

 

 

When Alec awoke the next morning, there was a soft breeze coming from his window. Sunlight peaked through the small gap in his curtains, casting shadows around the room. Alec slowly opened his eyes, in almost a dazed and confused state. It took a solid ten seconds for Alec to realise that he was in his dorm, and a further ten minutes for him to find the energy to get out of bed. He looked at the digital clock and saw that it was just after 10:00am, which was actually quite late for Alec.

 

 

After showering, freshening up, dressing and finally straightening the room up so it would be presentable for the roommate (not that it was untidy in the first place), Alec finally noticed the LED notification light on his phone flashing. He scanned through his phone to find text messages from three different people, as well as eleven missed calls. ‘ _Someone was eager’_ he thought to himself.

 

 

**Izzy:**

**11 missed calls**

**7 new messages**

**8:59am: Alec why aren’t you answering my calls?x**

**9:03am: I’ve rang you 5 times now!**

**9:05am: I swear your excuse had better be that you’re lying dead in a ditch somewhere!**

**9:05am: Wait... you’re not are you?**

**9:12am: Alec call me back! Usually you’re up by now!**

**9:20am: I texted Maia... she said you were stressing most of the night because of some new roommate you’re getting today? I guess that’s why you haven’t answered my calls... because you stayed up all night and you’re exhausted. I’ll let you off this time, big brother!x**

**9:21am: Oh, and a word of advice, learn to keep your goddamn phone off silent!x**

Alec laughed at her one-sided conversation, and as requested, he turned his phone off silent.

 

 

**Jace:**

**1 new message**

**9:10am: Alec for my sake, ANSWER OUR SISTERS PHONECALLS! She’s driving me insane!**

Alec’s grin widened, as he could easily imagine Izzy ranting to herself in frustration because he wasn’t picking up. He could also imagine Jace grumpily burying his face into his pillow due to Izzy waking him up before 8.30am.

 

 

**Maia:**

**2 new messages**

**9:31am: Your sister texted me earlier, looks like you’re in trouble. Good luck Lightwood!**

**9:33am: Oh, and your roommate is supposed to arrive sometime this afternoon, just a heads up ;)**

Alec groaned after reading the final message. It was almost noon already, and Alec really wasn’t looking forward to being judged by some guy that has to live with him. He knew it wasn’t right to plan what would probably happen beforehand, but the chances of this person actually _wanting_ to interact with him were probably one in a million.

 

 

***

 

 

After three hours, there was still no show of the new roommate. In that time, Alec had gone for lunch with Maia, picked up his timetable for the term, had a phone call that lasted over an hour with Izzy and Jace, and now he was indulging himself by reading a book, about a girl who has to take part in a messed-up game, where she must kill other players in order to survive and win. From what he had read so far, she was pretty skilled with archery – something that Alec also enjoyed doing as a hobby.

 

 

He had just turned a page over when he heard a small knock at the door, before it was opened. In walked a very stylish, Asian man. He was tall – not as tall as Alec, but still tall. His hair was black, with vibrant red streaks. His hairstyle was pretty close to a ‘faux hawk’, but Alec had never been an expert at knowing hairstyles. His face was flawless. Smooth, caramel skin made Alec’s skin look paler than a sheet of paper compared to him. His eyes were outlined with black, bold, eyeliner and deep blue, glittery eyeshadow made sure them stand out even more. He also had a goatee that suited him very well. His outfit made him look like he arrived straight from fashion week in Paris or something. He wore a sapphire military style jacket, with black skinny jeans. He wore ankle-high, leather boots, once again in a shade of dark blue. It was certainly not a look that Alec would wear himself, but it suited the man in the doorway. If there was one word to summarise this man, it would be _utopian_. Alec mentally slapped himself for thinking like that. He didn’t want to give any kind of hint of his secret.

 

 

The man smiled at Alec, before dragging five very large suitcases into the room. Usually students only brought one suitcase, as at the end of each term, they would go and see their families, and come back with enough clothes for the next term. How long was he expecting to stay here?

 

 

“You must be my roommate.” The stylish man said, breaking the silence. There was a soft and friendly tone to his voice.

 

 

Alec nodded giving a small smile in the process. The glittery guy smirked and placed one of his suitcases on his bed.

 

 

“Not much of a talker, are you?” He continued, as he began to unpack. More unique outfits were revealed with every piece of clothing that was taken out of the suitcase.

 

 

“Not really.” Alec replied bluntly with a shrug.

 

 

“Ah so he _does_ speak!” the nameless roommate joked, spinning around to look at him. He must have noticed Alec’s uneasiness, because his face relaxed, leaving only a kind smile. “Can I at least get the name of my handsome roomie?”

 

 

The way he said handsome, made Alec’s heart stutter. There was a certain sincerity to the tone of his voice when he said it – almost like he _meant_ it.

 

 

“Uh Lightwood... A- Alec Lightwood.” Alec stammered, turning red by the second after fucking up saying his own name.

 

 

“Well, Lightwood, Alec Lightwood, my name is Magnus Bane.” He finally revealed. Unique, just like him.

 

 

Alec gave him an awkward smile and glanced down at his book, which he had absent-mindedly closed, and therefore lost his place. He wasn’t aware that Magnus had moved, until he felt the mattress sink down next to him. Alec froze, before slowly looking in the direction of the new pressure.

 

 

“Look,” Magnus began. “I can see that you aren’t great at meeting new people, and that’s okay! Not everyone is socially confident. But, we’ll be sharing a room together for at least this academic year, so can you at least try to feel comfortable around me? I’d really like for us to get along.”

 

 

Alec realised how stupid he probably looked right now. He relaxed himself, losing the tension in his muscles. Whilst becoming completely comfortable around him would take a bit of time, he at least wanted to _try_ and make an effort to get to know him.

 

 

He gave Magnus a genuine smile and nodded. “Sure, sorry for the cold welcome.” He said quietly.

 

 

Magnus shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. How about we start again?” he suggested and held out his hand. “Hi there, I’m Magnus Bane.”

 

 

Alec grinned and took hold of Magnus’ hand, before shaking it. “I’m Alec Lightwood, great to meet you.”

 

 

Magnus frowned. “What? Just Alec Lightwood? Not... Lightwood, Alec Lightwood?”

 

 

“Shut up, I’m not good at words.” Alec smirked, rolling his eyes, earning a laugh from Magnus.

 

 

“Or you can tell the truth and say that you found me so astonishingly breath-taking, that you completely forgot how to speak.” Magnus grinned, before adding a quick “joking” when he saw Alec’s eyes widen and his body turn tense once again.

 

 

Magnus decided to quickly change the subject to avoid Alec becoming extremely closed-off again. He stood up and walked back over to his suitcase, continuing the task he had briefly put on hold.

 

 

“So, Alec... is that short for Alexander?”

 

 

“Yeah. I never liked that name though, so I choose to go by Alec instead.” He replied.

 

 

“But Alexander is a beautiful name! I believe it means defender of men if I’m not mistaken.” Magnus replied momentarily turning around to give Alec a gentle smile. “I think I’ll continue to use that as your name. You’d best get used to it, _Alexander._ ”

 

 

Hearing Magnus say his full name, made it sound different to how everyone else say it. There was a slight accent when he said it. It actually made Alec find his name tolerable – but only if it was said like that.

 

 

***

 

 

“So, what are you studying?” Magnus asked after finally finishing putting away his belongings.

 

 

“Teaching, I’m on my second year of the course. How about yourself?”

 

 

“I’m studying fashion. I’ve always been a fan of standing out in the crowd, so I’d like to be able to design my own garments.” Magnus replied cheerfully. _Of course, it’s fashion_. Alec thought to himself. “When you say teaching, are we talking college, high school-?” Magnus continued.

 

 

“Oh god no, I wouldn’t dream of teaching kids that age.” Alec quickly replied with a laugh. “I want to teach kids who are either in elementary or kindergarten. I think I’d like to specialize in teaching kids with additional needs.”

 

 

“Any particular reason for that?”

 

 

“Not really, I just love kids. I helped my brothers and sister with their education growing up, and I really enjoyed it. Jace and Izzy were just trouble-makers, so they didn’t pay attention in class, hence why I had to help them. Max is the youngest, he’s only thirteen right now and he has dyslexia. He struggles with his learning, particularly with his English, so I helped him a ‘lot. Seeing him progress made me proud, so I just... I don’t know, kind of stuck with it and here I am.”

 

 

Magnus found that story quite moving. “So, you’re one of four?”

 

 

“Yeah, I’m the oldest, Jace is nineteen, Izzy is eighteen, and like I said, Max is thirteen.” Alec replied. He turned around and grabbed one of the pictures on his wall, before handing it to Magnus. “This is them.”

 

 

Magnus stared at the picture, a small smile present as he looked at the happy faces. The first thing he noticed was that Alec had a beautiful smile. The next thing he noticed, was the resemblance between Alec and two of his siblings. All of them had dark hair, and similar facial features.

 

 

“They’re... all you’re siblings?” Magnus asked, confused by the fourth person in the photo, who had no similarities to the others. His hair was blonde, and there was little to no similarities between him and the others.

 

 

“Yeah, I’m guessing you’re confused by Jace?” Alec replied, as if reading Magnus’ mind. “Jace is adopted. My parents took him in after his parents, who were family friends, died in an accident. He was brought in when I was around six or seven, and he’s been a part of our family ever since.”

 

 

“Oh wow, that’s pretty amazing.” Magnus responded.

 

 

“How about yourself? Do you have any siblings?”

 

 

“Nope, I’m an only child. My mother passed away when I was four, and I’ve never been close to my father. I spent most of my life in care until I turned eighteen. I moved in with my best friend, Catarina, and now I’m here. I think of my friends as my family basically.”

 

 

“I’m sorry about your mother.” Alec said with sad eyes.

 

 

“It was a long time ago, I’m fine.” Magnus assured with another smile. “I was thinking of going to get some dinner to bring back, would you like me to bring you something back too?”

 

 

After accepting his offer and telling him what he’d like, Magnus left the room. Alec breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed. He was so glad his roommate wasn’t an asshole. He actually seemed to want to talk to him. He was kind and thoughtful, creative and confident. Maybe things wouldn’t turn out how Alec predicted it would. Maybe Magnus was different. Maybe Magnus was one in a million.


	2. One Step at a Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec decides it's time to stop putting it off, and to take the next step towards feeling like he can truly be himself.

It had been nearly nine weeks since lessons started for Alec, and nine weeks since his roommate, Magnus, had arrived. Whilst Alec was still quiet around him, he was finding himself being able to act like himself more and more each day.

 

 

“How’s life with the roomie?” Maia asked, causing Alec to glance up from his book.

 

 

 _Where do I start? He has been making me blush since day one, by complimenting me and calling me things such as gorgeous and handsome. What’s worse, is that he knows that it will get this reaction from me. The fact that he is really god damn beautiful doesn’t help at all – especially when it comes to me trying to hide the fact that I find men attractive._ Alec responded in his head, which was different to what his verbal response was.

 

 

“He’s good I think, I haven’t spoken to him today, he was already gone when I woke up.” He replied. He checked the time and saw that it was coming up to 12am. “He’ll probably be asleep now.”

 

 

“You should have invited him to hang out with us.” Simon added, grabbing Underhill’s bag of crisps and helping himself to a few, before Underhill managed to snatch them back, chuckling at how Simon seemed to believe he would get away with that.

 

 

Alec rolled his eyes. “Yeah Simon, you’re totally right. Even though I haven’t spoken to him at all today, I should have used my telepathic powers to invite Magnus to join us in this loser fest.” He replied sarcastically. Both Maia and Underhill burst out with laughter upon listening to Alec’s response.

 

 

Simon on the other hand, gave Alec a look that suggested he was dumb. “You mean to tell me that you’ve known Magnus for nine weeks and you don’t even have his number?”

 

 

“Why would I need his number?” Alec asked slightly too fast, worried that Simon may have believed that he would have his number for a different reason.

 

 

“To contact him if you can’t find him maybe?” Maia replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

 

“Oh right, yeah.” Alec muttered, a small huff of laughter escaped his lips at the same time. “I’ll make sure to let him know he’s welcome to join us next time.” He added, before deciding it was time for him to settle down and get back to his dorm.

 

 

***

 

 

It was a short journey from the library to his dorm, and upon arriving at his door, he made sure to remain as quiet as he could be, so that he wouldn’t risk waking his roommate. He gently opened the door, praying to every god to exist, that it wouldn’t creak. Once closing it, he began manoeuvring through the room in an attempt to get to his bed. All was going well until he misplaced his foot and tripped over his desk chair. He thundered down to the floor with a loud thud, taking his chair and a number of items from his desk with him.

 

 

“Fuck...” He whispered with a groan, after hitting his head on his bedside table. The next thing he was aware of, was a light being turned on, and a blurry figure hovering over him. He blinked continuously until his vision came back into focus. The person before him slowly became clearer, and he realised that it was Magnus. _Of course it was, he should have known._

 

 

“Alexander, are you alright?” He asked, clearly concerned. He was surprisingly alert considering he had just been woken up.

 

 

“I’m fine, I just tripped.” He replied, trying his best to not sound in pain.

 

 

Magnus rolled his eyes and helped him up onto his bed. With him being comfortable, Magnus diverted his attention to the bump that was beginning to form where he had hit his head. There was thankfully no cut, but he had clearly had a hard fall. He quickly walked over to the bathroom.

 

 

“What were you thinking walking around in the dark, Alec?” Magnus asked, as he walked back in, holding a damp towel. He brought the towel up to his head and pressed it against the bump. Alec realised that he was using it as a supplement for an ice pack.

 

 

“Trying not to wake you...”Alec replied slowly. There was a second of silence before Magnus chuckled.

 

 

“And how did that work out for you?” He asked in an amused tone.

 

 

“It worked out the way _everything_ works out for me. Terribly.” Alec responded with a huff of laughter.

 

 

“Don’t be silly, Alexander. _This_ turned out terribly, however I’m certain that not everything turns out bad for you” Magnus spoke softly, with a kind smile. “For a start, you have as family that clearly love you, as well as some supportive friends. To top it off, you get me as a roommate.” He added with a grin.

 

 

Alec smirked. “I guess you’re right, although we can take out the father in the family part.”

 

 

Magnus moved the cloth away from his head and quirked a brow. “You don’t think your Father loves you?” he asked with curiosity.

 

 

“I _know_ he doesn’t. But that’s okay, I’d rather not have a hateful, sexist, homophobic asshole in my life.”

 

 

“I doubt he’d like me then.” Magnus laughed.

 

 

“How so?”

 

 

“Well if he’s homophobic, he’d probably be upset to know that I have had boyfriends in the past.” Magnus replied with a surprising amount of confidence.

 

 

“You’ve had boyfriends? So you’re...?“

 

 

“I like to think of myself as a freewheeling bisexual. I’m attracted to both men and women.” Magnus replied. “Is that a problem for you?”

 

 

”Not at all! I’ve spent my whole life trying not to become my father. I’m just surprised at how open you are about it. Don’t you ever worry that people like my dad will make your life a living hell?”

 

 

“Why should I worry about being myself? If someone has a problem with who I want to love, then they can just stay out of my life. You only get one life, Alexander. I’d rather spend mine being myself and happy, instead of hiding who I truly am and living a miserable life.” Magnus responded sincerely.

 

 

“That’s a great way to look at it.” Alec said, as he started rummaging through his drawers for a shirt to fall asleep in.

 

 

“I’m glad you think so.” Magnus smiled before gesturing to his head. “Are you gonna be okay?”

 

 

“Oh I’ll be fine, there’s no cut or anything, it’s just throbbing a bit” Alec laughed. “Thank you for uhh... y’know... not going crazy at me for waking you up.”

 

 

“I won’t lie, I love my beauty sleep, but at least it was an excuse to see your handsome face.” Magnus replied with a wink.

 

 

Alec ducked his head slightly in an attempt to cover up the blush that had began to emerge. Magnus grinned, knowing exactly what Alec was trying to do. The latter quickly excused himself to the bathroom, so that he could get changed. Magnus seemed a little surprised at the fact that Alec felt the need to get changed in the bathroom, especially considering he only needed to change his shirt.

 

 

Alec had always had problems with his self-esteem, and having a roommate as flawless as Magnus, he didn’t want him to see the flaws that Alec was sure he possessed. Once inside, Alec immediately walked to the sink and washed off any dry blood that was missed by the cloth. He examined his head in the mirror, noticing the small cut to the left of his forehead, and a tint of purple forming around it. He was gonna wake up with one hell of a headache. He sighed and changed his shirt, reflecting on what Magnus had said earlier.

 

 

Magnus being bisexual wasn’t what had surprised him, it was the concept of him being so confident and open about it. Not giving a shit about what others think of him and his lifestyle. He had made many valid points as to why he didn’t care, and Alec was going over them in his head.

_You only get one life, Alexander._

Magnus was right. If we only live once, why should he spend it living in fear of judgement? Maybe facing his fears was the only way he could find hid confidence. His _happiness_. Alec couldn’t just come out in one day though, he didn’t think he’d be able to handle that anxiety. Perhaps if he went one step at a time. Izzy already knew, and he’d rather come out to his brothers and mother face to face. Maia had always been a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, maybe starting with her and his other friends would be a good place to start.

 

 

Alec closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. His anxiety was the only thing holding him back from being honest with everyone around him. He was better than this - than letting his mind get the better of him. Telling his friends was not going to result in oblivion. At worst, they wouldn’t accept him, and like Magnus said, he didn’t need unaccepting, toxic people in his life. Taking one more sharp inhale, he opened his eyes and looked back into the mirror. “You can do this, Lightwood.” He whispered to himself with motivation.

 

 

Walking back into the bedroom, he found Magnus laid back in bed, looking at a piece of paper that he presumed was his timetable for next week. His roommate glanced up from the sheet and gave him a kind smile.

 

 

“Everything okay?” He asked.

 

 

Alec walked over to his bed and nodded. “Yeah I’m good, just exhausted.” He replied, a small yawn causing his last word to trail off slightly.

 

 

“Well I can see that.” Magnus said with a huff of laughter. “On the bright side, at least you can sleep in tomorrow, seeing as it’s Saturday.”

 

 

Alec shrugged. “I wish, I’m meeting my friends at half past ten so that we can spend the night at Simon’s apartment. He is desperate for us to watch a movie and being the dumbass he is, he left it at home. “

 

 

Magnus laughed out loud at that. “Simon, is that the one with dirty blonde hair, or the one with dark hair?”

 

 

“Dark. The one with blonde hair is Underhill.” Alec replied.

 

 

“Underhill? And I always thought Magnus was a unique name.” He joked, placing the paper he was holding into the drawer on his bedside table.

 

 

“It’s his surname, his first name is William, but Underhill kinda stuck.” Alec explained. “So what are _your_ plans for the weekend?”

 

 

“Well my friend Catarina has the weekend off, which is quite rare considering she is a medical student, so I’m planning on visiting her tomorrow.” Magnus answered.

 

 

“Sounds like a great weekend.” Alec smiled, “Had you not been doing anything, I would have happily invited you to join us, my friends are eager to meet you.” He added with a small chuckle.

 

 

“Well I appreciate the thought.” Magnus said, a smile tugging at his lips. He spoke the truth too, with him being new to the college, he only had a couple of people on his course, and of course Alec to talk to. Knowing that he was welcome to join Alec and his friends on their weekend together was incredibly touching,

 

 

“Well you’re welcome to hang out with us if you ever feel like it. We don’t really do anything exciting, it’s mainly just messing about in the library whilst we revise, and eating junk food in one of our dorms.”

 

 

Magnus grinned and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. Any reason to see your gorgeous face more often is definitely something for me to consider.” He spoke in one final attempt to make his roommate’s adorable blush reappear.

 

 

Right on cue, the familiar pink flush emerged, and Alec quickly made an excuse to end the conversation right there. The excuse being that he needed sleep. Magnus could already tell that his exhaustion wasn’t the only reason that he was saying goodnight. He smirked and settled himself down, before wishing Alec a goodnight, and allowing the bruised, blushing man to get some sleep.

 

 

***

 

 

As expected, Alec woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. It took him a few moments to realise why he had this pain. That’s when he remembered how he had completely humiliated himself last night in front of Magnus. He also recalled the promise that he had made to himself. He was going to come out to his friends _today._ It was a terrifying concept to him, but like Magnus had said, he couldn’t live his entire life being afraid to be himself. Although Magnus was clearly talking about himself when he had said this, Alec still took it to heart.

 

 

Magnus was still sleeping by the time Alec was ready to go and meet the others, so just like the night before, he stayed as quiet as he could when leaving, only this time he managed to do it without making a fool of himself. He found the others at the cafe on campus, and they wasted no time in sniggering at the visible bump on his forehead.

 

 

“Did Magnus get tired of your snoring or something?” Maia asked between giggles.

 

 

Alec rolled his eyes and sat down. “Let’s just say my plan to go to bed without waking Magnus didn’t go how it was supposed to... _at all._ ”

 

 

As expected, his friends laughed harder when they realised that the injury was self-inflicted rather than at the hands of another person, and Alec knew instantly that this wasn’t going away anytime soon.

 

 

They stayed at the cafe for a coffee, before deciding to hit the road, ready for their journey to Simon’s. Maia and Alec were the only two of the group who had a car, and given the fact that Maia knew the way better, she insisted on driving.

 

 

***

 

 

“What’s on your mind?” Maia asked Alec after being on the road for a while. Underhill and Simon had both fallen asleep in the back seats, making it just them two.

 

 

“Nothing.” He lied, knowing that it probably didn’t sound very convincing.

 

 

Maia knew Alec too well. She could always tell when something was bothering or worrying him. This was one of those times. The entire car ride, Alec had been thinking about how he would come out to his friends. He was determined not to chicken out, like he had done so many times previously, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t terrified of losing his friends – in particular, Maia. He didn’t know whether to tell them one at a time, or all at once. He was also unsure of _when_ he should do it. _When they arrive? Before the film? After the film?_ Alec knew that these side thoughts were just his brain trying to make things even harder, but he couldn’t help but come up with even more ‘what if’ questions.

 

 

“For you, nothing means something.” Maia replied. “You know you can always talk to me, right?”

 

 

“Yeah I know, it’s just that there’s a ‘lot going on in my head right now, but I can’t talk about it – not here anyway. I’ll talk about it later.”

 

 

“Shit, how serious is it?”

 

 

“It isn’t _going to jail_ serious, it’s more... _personal_ serious and I’d rather talk about it where I can see you all face. That’s why I want to wait for us to get to Simon’s.”

 

 

Maia nodded and took a second to look at Alec and give him a sweet smile. “Later then?”

 

 

“Later.” Alec replied whilst returning the smile.

 

 

***

 

 

The movie Simon had dragged them away from college to see was pretty good, but not worth a one hour trip to go and see it. On a positive note though, it was an excuse to get away from college for a day and to spend time with his closest friends.

 

 

Alec decided to help Maia with cleaning the kitchen whilst Simon and Underhill dealt with tidying the living room. He thought that being alone with Maia was the perfect opportunity to do what he had promised.

 

 

“Hey, uh... Maia?” He broke the silence, as he placed a dish into the sink.

 

 

“Yeah?”

 

 

“Remember in the car, when you asked what was on my mind?”

 

 

Maia stopped what she was doing and looked at him. “Are you ready to talk about it...?” She asked. Alec nodded and sat down on one of the barstools. Maia copied his movements and remained silent so that he could talk when he felt ready.

 

 

“Well uh, basically I want to tell you first. Y’know since you’re my best friend.” He began. Maia nodded and gave him a fond smile. “I’ve wanted to say this for a while, but I was afraid that maybe telling you would badly impact our friendship.”

 

 

“Alec I told you before, you can tell me anything.” Maia said honestly.

 

 

“Okay, well I’ll just come out and say it... _I’m gay._ ”

 

 

There was a brief silence between them which worried Alec for a moment – but all of that anxiety washed away when Maia closed the distance between him and pulled him in for a hug. Alec immediately wrapped his arms around her, an audible sigh of relief escaping his lips as they embraced.

 

 

As soon as Maia pulled away, he could see her eyes were slightly glassy due to tears forming in her eyes. “Alec I’m so glad you finally found the courage to tell me.” She explained, still keeping her voice down in case the others heard. “I’ve known that you had some sort of secret for over a year, and I was always too scared to ask you in case you’d be upset by my asking.”

 

 

Maia paused for a second, trying to figure out what to say next. She took his hand into her own and smiled. “It’s okay, Alec. You being gay changes _nothing_ between us. In fact, I think this is going to benefit our friendship – because now you don’t have to hide who you are anymore.”

 

 

Alec responded with a small smile. “It’s been awful keeping it a secret – it’s just, with my Dad being the way he is... I know the day will come when he will find out himself and-“

 

 

“Alec.” Maia interrupted. “It will be your Dad verses _us_ before he can even think about interfering with your life.”

 

 

Alec’s grin grew when he heard that. He gave her hand a light squeeze, and then walked over to tje sink, where he started washing the pots.

 

 

“Alec?” Maia spoke in a questioning tone.

 

 

“Hmm?”

 

 

“Are you planning on telling the others today too, or is that gonna be too much pressure for you? I can keep this quiet until you’re ready if you need to.”

 

 

Alec glanced over his shoulder and looked at his friend. “My plan was to tell you all. I just really wanted to tell you 1:1. I just hope they’ll react the way that you did.”

 

 

“Of course they will. We love you Alec, no matter who you fall in love with. They’re our best friends, and any friends who don’t accept and love you for who you are, were _never_ a true friend to start with.” Maia reassured him.

 

 

True to Maia’s words, the others were extremely happy with Alec’s decision to be more open about his feelings. Will was beaming when he told them, and Simon hugged him instantly. The three of them spent the rest of the day expressing just how proud and happy for him that they were.

 

 

 _I did it._ Alec thought to himself triumphantly.

 

 

***

 

 

Alec laid on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. He was reflecting on the events that had unfolded that day, and thinking about just how lucky he was to have friends who were so accepting and understanding. He had wasted so much time allowing his anxiety to control his life, that he would only consider the worst possible outcome of coming out rather than any other possibilities.

 

 

 _‘I’m a fucking idiot.’_ He thought to himself, realizing just how much overthinking he had done when it came to the subject. He should have known that his friends would be okay with it – in all honesty, the only person who wouldn’t be okay with it was Robert. That didn’t stop him from remaining anxious about the concept of coming out to his siblings and mother though.

 

 

 He had a fear that by coming out to them, it would change their relationship forever. Whilst this was inevitable, the relationship could change for the better or the worse. On one hand, being true to himself could result in his family being closer to him, and understanding him more. On the other hand though, there was the possibility that coming out would cause his family to feel uncomfortable with him being gay, and therefore distance himself from him. Thankfully, Izzy reacted positively, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of his family would too.

 

 

Saying this though, Alec did feel a boost in his confidence after coming out to his friends. It made him feel that although some people may not accept him, at least he knew that he would still have them, as well as Izzy. He wasn’t confident enough to come out to them just yet, but for now, he was taking one step at a time, and making progress each day.

 

 

***

 

 

The journey back to college consisted of Alec being asked endless questions about his sexuality, and although he expected to struggle to talk about it, he actually found it really easy to talk to them, now that he had come out to them. He felt so much more comfortable knowing that he was no longer hiding this secret from them.

 

 

When he got back to his dorm, he found the room empty, suggesting that Magnus was still at his friend’s. It was unsurprising considering it was only 1pm, so he still had a ton of time to spend with her. Being alone, he thought it was the perfect opportunity to video call Izzy. She must have been waiting for his call, as she answered the call within the first few seconds.

 

 

“Hey, you _just_ missed Jace.” She greeted him with a laugh.

 

 

“I’ll call him later. Besides, him not being there is perfect actually because I need to tell you something.” He replied, earning a confused look from his sister. “It’s not bad or anything.” He added to reassure her.

 

 

Izzy relaxed her expression and gestured for him to continue.

 

 

“I told them.” He plainly told her.

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

“I told Maia, Si and Will that I was gay.” He clarified.

 

 

After hearing him say this, a wide smile formed across Izzy’s face and Alec could see her growing increasingly excited. He could have sworn that her eyes were tearing up slightly.

 

 

“Alec- You really _came out_ to them?” He asked in a shocked whisper.

 

 

“Yeah, I told Maia first and she was totally cool with it. I figured telling her first would be easier than telling them all at once. After that I told the others.”

 

 

“Alec you have no idea how proud I am of you right now. I’m so happy that you can be yourself around other people without worrying about how they will react. Not only do you have me, but you now have Maia, Simon and William too.” Izzy exclaimed.

 

 

Alec smiled fondly. “I guess I do.” He said with a small laugh.

 

 

“Listen, I have to get going, Alec.” Izzy said after a couple of seconds. “My battery is running low but I’ll talk to you tomorrow or something?”

 

 

“It’s a plan.” Alec replied with a smile.

 

 

“I really am proud of you, big brother.” She concluded.

 

 

Alec responded by widening his smile. Before he could say _goodbye_ , The call cut off – probably because her battery had finally given out.

 

 

“Hey, Alexander.” A voice greeted from behind him. Alec jolted like he had been given an electric shock and looked behind him, to see Magnus smiling at him in the doorway of the dorm.

 

 

“H- hey. How long have you been stood there?” He asked.

 

 

“Only for a minute or so. I wanted to let you finish your conversation before I interrupted.” Magnus replied with a smile.

 

 

Alec’s heart stopped. In the past minute, he had been discussing how he came out to his friends. If Magnus was there during that time... how much did he hear? Alec wasn’t worried about the acceptance when it came to Magnus. With him being bisexual himself, Alec was fairly certain that he would be completely accepting of him and his sexuality. What was worrying him, was that he didn’t know how trustworthy he was when it came to secrets. He had known Magnus for only a matter of weeks, how was he supposed to know how good he was at maintaining confidentiality. Alec wanted to ask what he had heard, but was too afraid to do it. He didn’t need to ask in the end though, because as if Magnus had read his mind, he continued speaking.

 

 

“I won’t lie to you, Alec. I did hear some of the conversation – including... about coming out to your friends.” He explained. Alec’s breath hitched. _Oh no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry this took so long to upload! I've recently started University, and on top of that I have work placement, so it's hard to balance out my time right now. I hope Chapter 2 was done justice for you guys. Chapter 3 is already typed up, so you can expect that in a couple of days. <3


	3. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Magnus overhearing Alec's secret, Alec starts freaking out, so it's down to Magnus to calm him down. During that time, Alec realises something, which should have been obvious from the start.

Alec remained still on the chair, unsure of how to react. Magnus could see the panic in his face and instantly wanted to try and calm him.

 

 

“Alexan-“

 

 

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Alec cursed to himself. “I _knew_ I shouldn’t have told her over video call... I should have told her face to face!”

 

 

It took Magnus a moment to realise that Alec was talking to himself, and blocking out any other voices around him. Magnus knew he needed to do something to stop Alec from being in this state of panic, so he walked over slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. This gesture brought Alec out of his trance and he immediately jumped out of his seat and began pacing the dorm, running his fingers through his hair.

 

 

“You can’t tell anyone Magnus! _I fucking mean it!_ ” He said in a whisper-shout, careful to not catch the attention of anyone in the dorms next door to them.

 

 

“Alec, I wasn’t going t-” Magnus tried to reply, but Alec was still freaking out.

 

 

“You weren’t even supposed to know, Magnus. Maybe I would have told you at some point in the future, but- shit my family don’t even know yet, Magnus!” Alec sighed. “Why do you have to be so perfect!?”

 

 

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows for a second, and Alec suddenly caught on to what he had just said. “Uhh I mean... why do you have to be so _good_... y’know at not making your presence known.”

 

 

“I get it, Alec. I probably should have let you know I was back as soon as I opened the door, and I’m sorry. But what’s done is done now, so can’t we just talk about what you want to happen from now?” Magnus replied.

 

 

“What I want, is for you to forget the last ten minutes, but that obviously isn’t going to happen...” Alec frowned. He knew that he was likely sounding really rude right now, but it was a natural way for him to respond when he was panicking. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

 

 

“Listen, I’m sorry I’m being such an ass. I shouldn’t take this out on you... it’s just that it’s taken me six years to come out to my best friends, who I trust with my life. I’ve only known you for a few months and you now know about it before my own family do... excluding my sister of course.”

 

 

“It’s hard for you, I know that. I’ve been through it myself, remember? I may seem confident in myself now, but there was a period where I was worried about people finding out without me _wanting_ to tell them.” Magnus replied softly. “Listen Alexander, it may not be my business, as I wasn’t the person you were talking to, but you should be really proud of yourself for finding the courage to open up to your friends. You clearly trust them, and I want you to know that even though you didn’t intend for me to know, you can trust me too.”

 

 

Alec said nothing for a couple of seconds and sat down on his bed. “You mean that?”

 

 

Magnus sighed and joined Alec on his bed, sitting beside him. “Of course I do, and I’m always here if you need someone to talk to. I know that you’d probably go to your friends or sister first, but being in the LGBTQ+ community myself, you might find it easier to relate to me.” Magnus rested his hand on top of his roommate’s, causing Alec’s breath to hitch slightly.

 

 

Every time Magnus made contact with Alec, a shiver would run through his spine. This didn’t happen with anyone else, and Alec had no idea why it was happening with Magnus, and Magnus only. It wasn’t an uncomfortable shiver though, it was more like a bundle of nerves jolting through his body – the kind that would be associated with butterflies in your stomach. Alec couldn’t figure out what it what he was feeling, but he didn’t hate it.

 

 

“That means a ‘lot, Magnus. Really.” Alec replied, feeling a small boost in his confidence. He slowly laced their fingers together for a moment, as a gesture of appreciation. He was almost expecting Magnus to pull his hand away instantly, but he didn’t. Instead, he actually smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

 

 

Holding Magnus’ hand, he felt himself relax, just like he had done with Maia when he told her. He realised that he really could trust Magnus, and that he was actually someone that he could see playing a big part in his life. Not in a romantic way or anything, but as a good friend. Yes, a friend was the right word... Alec wasn’t attracted to Magnus... was he? _Was he?_

 

 

I mean, yes he was beautiful in every way as well as charming, kind, understanding and trustworthy. Sure, he made him feel like nobody else had ever made him feel, just by touching him. Maybe Alec liked the way he made him blush whenever he flirted with or winked at him. And okay, perhaps he enjoyed the sensation of holding hands with his roommate. But that didn’t mean he was falling for him... _right?_

 

 

Oh.

 

 

_I’ve fallen  for Magnus Bane._ Alec thought.

 

 

“Having gone through it myself, would you like to talk about it?” Magnus suggested after a few moments.”

 

 

Alec was still processing his feelings, so it took him a moment to respond. He quietly nodded, earning a smile from the man sat beside him.

 

 

“So, when did you first realise that you were gay?” Magnus asked softly.

 

 

Alec took a second to think back. “I’m not sure, I guess I started feeling this way when I was twelve or thirteen maybe? My brother would always go on about the ‘hot chicks’ in our school, but I never understood what the big deal about them was. The only way I understood what he was talking about was if I imagined them as a guy. I thought it was just a phase at first... and I won’t lie, I was hoping it was just a phase. Like I told you, my dad isn’t fond of people who are like... this.” Alec gestured to himself.

 

 

Magnus didn’t say anything. He nodded to show his understanding of what he was feeling, but he wanted Alec to open up properly. He knew that this was probably the first time he had opened up this much, and he didn’t want to take that moment away from him. They still hadn’t let go of each other’s hand, so Magnus slightly tightened his grip to encourage him to keep going.

 

 

“The feelings never went away though, and by the time I turned 16, I had accepted that nothing was going to change – that this was me and I had to deal with it.” Alec spoke with a hushed voice.

 

 

“How old were you when you told Isabelle?” Magnus asked.

 

 

“I only told her last year, so I was 18. She’s like the female Sherlock Holmes, so she knew something was up even before I did. I had no chance of being able to keep it from her for much longer.” He replied with a small laugh.

 

 

“You said you were hoping it wasn’t a phase... did you ever try to- I don’t know, erase your sexuality? Perhaps by dating a girl or something? Or did you just let it play out?”

 

 

“No, I never did that. I didn’t want to be someone who pretended to fall for someone, _just_ so that people wouldn’t speculate about me or get their suspicions. That wouldn’t have been fair on the person I would have pretended to like. They deserve to find someone who would treat them right.” Alex explained.

 

 

Magnus was touched that Alec cared so much for others. It was never _‘unfair on me_ ’ or ‘ _I deserve’_. Although, Magnus also wished that Alec would put himself first once in a while – where he could make his own decisions that benefitted _himself_ and not others around him.

 

 

Magnus then realised something. If he had never had a girlfriend then-

 

 

“And you’ve never had a boyfriend?” He asked curiously.

 

 

Alec shook his head slowly. His head bowed slightly, suggesting that Alec was slightly embarrassed to admit that.

 

 

“You’ve never been with anybody?” Magnus spoke in disbelief.

 

 

Alec shook his head again.

 

 

He found it so hard to believe that the man before him had never been in a relationship. He was irresistible to the naked eye. Fluffy black hair that was naturally messy, in a way that really suited him. His eyes were a beautiful shade of hazel, and he had naturally handsome facial features. His body was muscular, and tall. _This was just the physical aspects._ He had the most adorable personality. He was shy around people he didn’t know, as well as the definition of reserved. He was also kind, and understanding as well as selfless and loving. He literally had the whole package... how had he not met anyone yet? Surely there were people willing to line up to get a chance with this beautiful man.

 

 

Magnus had remained silent for a short while, which made Alec feel slightly paranoid.

 

 

“You’re weirded out by me...” He said. What shocked Magnus, was that he said it as a statement rather than a question.

 

 

“I’m definitely _not_ weirded out, Alexander.” Magnus responded with a quiet chuckle. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. I can’t figure out how you haven’t dated anybody yet. You’re a total catch.”

 

 

Alec looked at his roommate with a grin. “A catch? Do I look like a fish to you, Magnus?” he asked with a small laugh.

 

 

Magnus smiled. “You know exactly what I mean, Alexander. Stop being so modest.” Alec bowed his head again in an attempt to disguise the blush that had began to creep across his face. Magnus noticed this and used his finger to gently tilt his head back up, so that they were face to face again. Alec held his breath when he saw the way Magnus was adoringly looking into his eyes.

 

 

“You, Alexander Lightwood, are one of the rarest and most valuable catches a person can find. You have many amazing qualities that some of the best people don’t even have. You are selfless, considerate, kind, intelligent, courageous, adorable and let’s not forget _gorgeous._ ” Alec bit his lip, still unsure of how to deal with compliments. “You’re a loving brother, a loyal son, a dedicated student and an incredible friend. Sooner or later, you’ll be an amazing boyfriend, and the man who you eventually fall in love will have no idea just how lucky he is.”

 

 

Alec didn’t know how to respond to Magnus. He was completely speechless, it was like his vocabulary had been erased from his brain. Nobody had ever made Alec feel like this. _Special_. He had been given compliments by his friends and family before, but there were never this in depth. A wave of emotions swam over him, and for the next few moments, the only thing he became aware of was the sound of his own conscience, repeating the same phrase – urging him to do one thing.

 

 

_Kiss him. Kiss him. Kiss him._

 

What was terrifying for Alec, was that he wanted to do that. He wanted to kiss him. He slowly reached for Magnus’ shirt, the fabric feeling soft against his trembling fingers.

 

 

He hesitated for a moment, wanting to give Magnus the chance to back out. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Magnus did not move away – in fact, Alec thought he saw him edge slightly closer to him. Maybe... he wanted this too? Alec took a deep breath and slowly leaned further forward, until their lips finally brushed against each other. In that single moment, everything suddenly felt right. Alec finally relaxed when he felt Magnus kiss him back. The kiss wasn't rushed or desperate - it was gentle and sweet. They were taking their time to explore the sensation of kissing each other. Alec released his hold of Magnus' now-very-creased shirt, and moved his hands up to his neck, trying to bring them even closer. Magnus smiled into the kiss, and gently cupped Alec's face, deepening the kiss ever so slightly. It was a short while before Alec eventually broke the kiss, to gasp for air. They kept their foreheads against each other, and their eyes remained closed. The only sound in the room was their soft pants, as they tried to catch their breaths. After a couple of seconds, Alec opened his eyes to see two beautiful eyes staring back at him. As always, they were sparkling, but somehow they looked even more alive. His eyes were an unusual shade, deep brown with a tiny hint of a yellowish-gold outlining them. Such a unique combination, they fitted Magnus perfectly. Their smiles were brighter than the sun, and they found it near-impossible to let each other go.

 

 

“You didn’t stop me.” Alec whispered in disbelief.

 

 

Magnus simply smiled and cupped the younger man’s face in his hands. “Why would I even _consider_ stopping you, Alexander?” he asked.

 

 

“Well... I mean I’m not the kind of guy that people are usually attracted to...” Alec admitted shyly.

 

 

“Are people blind, or are you just delusional?” Magnus asked, laughing as he said it.

 

 

Alec looked down sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, I guess growing up around Jace and Izzy, I always saw them as the perfect ones. They were confident, popular, stylish and well... I’m none of those. I’m not the kind of guy who catches the eyes of others – unlike my siblings.”

 

 

“ _You_ caught my eye.” Magnus replied with a soft smile, causing Alec to glance up once more. “And you haven’t left my mind since.”

 

 

Alec rolled his eyes playfully and grinned. “I was the only person in the room when you met me, Magnus. _Of course_ I caught your eye.” He laughed quietly.

 

 

“We were alone when I _met_ you, that is a fact, but it wasn’t the first time I laid eyes on you, however.” Magnus elaborated. Alec wondered if he had missed something and quirked a brow in confusion, causing Magnus to quickly explain.

 

 

***

 

 

***9 weeks earlier***

“You know I could have made my own way here, Cat. You didn’t need to go through the trouble.” Magnus said, as they pulled up outside of the college.

 

 

Catarina huffed out a laugh. “I know, but I don’t know what my shifts will be like at the hospital. This could be the last I see you in person for weeks. I’d rather go through the trouble and be able to wave you off than waste the opportunity.”

 

 

“Good point.” Magnus chuckled. “Don’t be too upset that I can’t deal with your fashion disasters whilst I’m here by the way.” He added jokingly.

 

 

“Magnus, just you saying that is making me tear up.” Cat played along, resting her hand over her heart to be more dramatic.

 

 

They both laughed for a moment, before something or rather _someone_ caught his attention.

 

 

Across the car park, was a gorgeous individual. If you looked up the phrase _tall, dark and handsome_ , an image of this man would appear right beside it. His height was hard to determine from far afar, but Magnus was fairly confident that he was around 6ft, going by the comparison of the girl he was talking to. His hair was black and naturally tousled, but in all honestly, it worked for him. His attire was fairly plain... _well..._ very plain – everything was black. His shirt, his jeans, his shoes and his leather jacket. Magnus would normally have been offended by the lack of colour in his style, but with this man, it suited him perfectly. Magnus could barely take his eyes off him. He was beautiful.

 

 

Magnus grunted in pain when he felt Catarina elbow him, bringing him back to reality. “What was that for!?” He asked, finally moving his gaze away from the mystery man and then rubbing his arm where she had hurt him.

 

 

“You didn’t answer my question, or to put it another way, you weren’t listening to me!” She replied, showing very little remorse.

 

 

“What question?”

 

 

Cat rolled her eyes. “I asked who you were looking at. It’s been a while since you’ve been put into ‘daydream’ mode after seeing someone.”

 

 

“Oh.” Magnus replied, his heart rate increasing slightly. “No one.”

 

 

“Bullshit. You saying _no one_ is like me saying that this is my natural hair colour.” Cat replied, pointing to her braided hair, that had electric blue highlights in them. Magnus smiled and turned to look out the window once again, this time pointing at the man.

 

 

“Him.” He simply stated.

 

 

Cat looked in the direction he was aiming at and finally realized who he was talking about. She laughed softly at how quickly he returned to his daydream phase.

 

 

“Okay then lover-boy.” She said with a grin. “You have plenty of time to make your move. But if he turns out to be anything like Camille, I swear, Magnus, I’ll-”

 

 

“Kick his ass until he is a crying mess and begging for you to show mercy, I know.” Magnus interrupted, finishing off her sentence for her with a smile. “Glad to know you have my back, Cat.”

 

 

Cat nodded. “Always. Now, go and design like your life depends on it. Your materials await you!” She ordered, earning a chuckle from her friend. She leaned over and hugged him tightly. “I expect a call from you later on, Bane.”

 

 

Magnus laughed harder and nodded. “And I expect you to actually _answer_ my call.”

 

 

“Touché. Now _go_.” She replied.

 

 

Magnus finally did as he was told, and got out of the car. He had one more glance in the direction of the man, but unfortunately, he was gone. Magnus frowned and went to get his luggage from the boot of her car. He waved Catarina off until she was out of sight, and made his way onto the campus, where he was directed to his dorm.

 

 

Magnus made it to his new home after a short journey. He stood outside the door and placed his hand on the doorknob, before pulling it back. He realized that someone may possibly be in there, so making sure he didn’t give the wrong impression, he knocked lightly, before opening the door.

_Well, well, well..._ he thought when he spotted tall dark and handsome relaxed on the bed beside his. _This will be interesting..._

 

 

***

 

  ***Present Day***

 

 

“Of all the students on the campus that day, I was _really_ the one you noticed?” Alec asked after hearing Magnus’ explanation. The latter nodded in response with a soft smile.

 

 

“Now, like I said before, can you please stop being so adorably modest and tell me what you’d like to happen from here?”

 

 

“What do you mean ‘happen from here’?” Alec questioned.

 

 

“Well we just kissed, Alexander.” Magnus replied, laughing.

 

 

“I know, I was there.” Alec smiled.

 

 

“What I mean is, where do we go from here? Was the kiss just an experimental thing for you? Are you confused about your feelings for me? Do you actually want this to go somewhere?” He clarified.

 

 

Alec remained silent for a couple of seconds, deep in thought. “I’m not sure. I wanted to kiss you... in fact, that was the only thing running through my mind beforehand.” He said before he took a deep breath and decided to take a different approach. “Where do _you_ want us to go from this?”

 

 

“Well of course I’d like this to go somewhere. I feel something... new around you, Alexander Lightwood.”

 

 

“You do?”

 

 

“I really do.”

 

 

Alec was blushing again, but this time, he didn’t hide it. He gave Magnus a shy smile. “I want this to go somewhere too... but-” He paused and sighed.

 

 

“But you’re not out yet.” Spoke,  finishing his sentence for him. After a small nod from Alec, his facial expression softened. “Alexander, I’m a patient man. If time is what you need, I’m willing to keep this just between us until you feel ready to come out. This is your decision.”

 

 

Alec looked into Magnus’ eyes, imagining all of the possible outcomes. If people were to discover his sexuality, there would certainly be some who would judge him greatly for his lifestyle. His father would most certainly be ashamed of him – he would possibly even disown him. On the other hand, he has siblings who love him dearly, and would likely accepts him if he told them. Izzy already knew anyway, and she was completely fine with it. As for his mother, Alec wasn’t completely sure about how she would react, but any decent mother would accept and love their children just the way they were – and Maryse was a great mother. Then there were his friends; Maia, Simon and Will. They all knew now and still loved him just the same. If others didn’t accept him, at least he would still have those people in his life.

 

 

And finally, there was Magnus. The man who made his heart race every time he saw him. The man who always looked perfect, and constantly took his breath away because of it. The man who made him into a stuttering mess whenever he spoke to him. Nobody had ever had that effect on him.

 

 

He leaned in and caught Magnus’ lips once again. This kiss was different to the last one. It was short and sweet, but still enough to give Magnus his answer.

 

 

“Okay then.” Magnus mumbles against his lips, unable to stop himself from smiling brightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may be a little while before the next chapter is uploaded, as it is not yet completed, and I also have a 'lot of University work to focus on. I will get it done as soon as I possibly can.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. New Experiences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec isn't certain of what he and Magnus are, in terms of their relationship.
> 
> This is kind of just a filler chapter, so it isn't as long as the previous chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely happy with the way this chapter turned out, but I hope it's enough for you all to enjoy it. I've just had a 'lot of university work to focus on lately, so it's taken me a while to write this out.
> 
> Twitter: @TaesMalec

Alec was still coming to terms with the fact that he and Magnus were... something. He wasn’t sure what they were, they hadn’t said the “B” word, they hadn’t said they were partners, or dating, or in a relationship. All he knew, was they had kissed, and that they felt something for each other. Of course, it had only been a short while since he and Magnus had kissed for the first time – three weeks to be exact, so it was natural for him to be unsure about what their status was.

 

 

There was almost some kind of switch for how they acted around each other. They would remain friends when they were in public, or at least in a place where people could see them – but when they went behind closed doors, the switch would flick, and they would act like a couple or whatever they were labelled as.

 

 

Alec was grateful for how understanding Magnus was. He didn’t push any boundaries with him, even when they were alone. Magnus appreciated that this was all very new for Alec, and that he was as inexperienced as it was possible to be. For this reason, Alec was the one who would usually initiate any kind of contact, whether it be cuddling, hand holding or kissing.

 

 

Magnus always seemed to find it funny that Alec would ask for his permission to do anything with him. It was always Magnus, can I uh, sit near you? – Can I hold your hand? – Would it be impolite to cuddle with you right now? It was almost as if Alec was terrified of doing something wrong, so much so, that he would ask for reassurance every time.

 

 

In fact, that was exactly what the situation was. Alec had no experience with being in a relationship. He hadn’t even contemplated the idea of being in a relationship because he was so afraid of accepting his sexuality. With such little experience in this field, Alec had drilled into his memory that he was bound to mess things up for him and Magnus. He wanted to prevent that from happening in every way possible.

 

***

 

 

Alec was brought out of his thoughts when Underhill placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of him.

 

 

“Get out of your head, Lightwood, it’s time to be social.” He teased as he and Maia sat themselves down of the sofa.

 

 

“Being social takes way too much effort.” Alec replied with a smirk, before taking the cup in front of him and resting it on his lap.

 

 

“He has a point.” Simon added.

 

 

“Alec, isn’t that your roommate?” Maia asked after a few seconds. Alec immediately turned around to face the door, nearly spilling his coffee in the process. Just as Maia had implied, Magnus had just walked into the café and had taken his spot in the queue.

 

 

To no surprise at all, he looked amazing. He wore a long, sandy trench coat, with a burgundy scarf. His jeans were black with golden accents on each side. His boots matched the colour of his scarf, as did the satchel that he carried on his shoulder. His eye make-up consisted of his usual black eyeliner, with natural toned eyeshadow. How could one man have this much of an effect on him?

 

 

“Go and see if he wants to hang out with us, Alec.” Maia insisted when Alec didn’t verbally respond to her statement.

 

 

Alec was about to argue back but thought better of it when he saw Maia give him the don’t you dare try and get out of this look. He simply nodded and stood up, before walking over to him.

 

 

“Hey.” He greeted, resting a hand on his shoulder. Magnus spun around and smiled.

 

 

“Hey, Alexander. I thought you were spending the morning with your friends?”

 

 

“Well yeah I was- I mean I am.” He quickly corrected, before gesturing to the couch where he and his friends were seated. Magnus glanced over and smiled at the group, throwing a small wave in the process. “That’s what brings me here actually. They have been wanting to meet you since I told them I was getting a roommate.”

 

 

Alec saw Magnus grin slightly when he said ‘roommates’. It wasn’t an obvious grin that would cause suspicion though – others would have seen it as just a regular smile, but Alec knew that he was discretely mocking him for saying roommates when they were clearly more than that.

 

 

“Have they now?”

 

 

“Yeah, so do you want to have your coffee with us? You don’t have to of course- I mean if you need to be somewhere we completely understa-”

 

 

“I’d love to, Alec.” Magnus cut in before Alec lost all of his oxygen due to rambling on. The latter sighed with relief and smiled.

 

 

***

 

 

“You seriously made that outfit!?” Simon exclaimed in shock, looking at Magnus’ outfit.

 

 

“Not the entire outfit, Simon.” Magnus chuckled. “I altered the jeans so that they would have the gold pattern, and I made the shirt myself, but the rest of the outfit wasn’t my work.”

 

 

“You should take a few notes from Magnus’ book, Alec.” Underhill joked. “Maybe then you’ll find a sense of style” he added with a laugh.

 

 

“Gee, thanks.” Alec replied sarcastically.

 

 

Magnus laughed and leaned forward. He brought his hand to Alec’s knee and patted it. Alec froze slightly, he hadn’t told the others that they were- well... something, but the others didn’t seem to react, and anyway, what was the worst that could happen if they did suspect that something was happening between them? They were fine with him being gay, and that wasn’t going to change if he started to date someone.

 

 

Alec relaxed himself after coming to the conclusion that no suspicions would be raised from this. The most worrying thing for him was the other college students in the cafe, however they were having their own conversations, and therefore were taking no notice of Magnus’ gesture. Perhaps he didn’t need to be as anxious as he was acting when it came to subtle public displays of affection like this.

 

 

“I happen to think Alexa- Alec’s style suits him very well.” He stated. “However, you could maybe take a few notes on how to colour match properly, William.” He added.

 

 

Simon sniggered and Maia hid her face from the others to block the wide grin that had started to form. Alec smirked slightly when he saw Underhill’s shocked expression.

 

 

“I guess I should have saw that coming.” He eventually said after brief  moment of surprise.

 

 

***

 

 

Alec returned to his dorm with Magnus later that day. As soon as they entered the dorm and closed the door behind them, Alec physically relaxed.

 

 

“I thought they were never gonna let us leave.” Alec said with a small laugh, flinging himself onto his bed.

 

 

“Don’t be cruel, Alexander.” Magnus chuckled. “Cherish the moments you spend with those who you are close to.”

 

 

“In all honesty, I just wanted to come back here with you. I’m introverted like that.” Alec admitted. Hd propped himself up on the bed with pillows and cushions and threw a small smile in Magnus’ direction.

 

 

“You’re too sweet, Alexander.” The latter hummed. “And yes, I’m taking that in a romantic way, not in a I hate people so I’d rather be in my dorm with my boyfriend kind of way.” He added.

 

 

Alec stilled for a moment. Boyfriend. Magnus just referred to himself as Alec’s boyfriend. That wasn’t a bad thing- far from it, but Alec had been spending these past few weeks full of curiosity over what they were, and now he knew.

 

 

Magnus must have sensed Alec’s surprise, because he strolled over to him and sat on the bed next to him. He threw his arm around Alec’s shoulder and pulled him closer in a sweet embrace. Alec’s tension faded slightly in Magnus’ hold almost instinctively.

 

 

“Alexander, if the term boyfriend is not what you see us as, then it’s fine, just let me know okay? I’m sorry for blurting it out, sometimes I don’t think.” Magnus spoke softly.

 

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to be your boyfriend, Magnus... I do!” Alec responded swiftly. “It was just the fact that you said it... I wasn’t sure what we... were, so I refrained from using that term until I had some kind of confirmation.”

 

 

Magnus made an understanding sound. “I figured the fact that you told me that you wanted this to go somewhere was confirmation enough to say that we were a couple.”

 

 

“I definitely knew we were something Magnus, but I wasn’t sure what.” Alec said. “I mean, some people would say they were just dating. Some would say they were in a relationship. Others would use the boyfriend or girlfriend term. It’s just so confusing.”

 

 

“Welcome to the world of romance, Alexander.” Magnus replied with a soft laugh, earning a grin from the man in his arms. Alec rested his head on Magnus’ shoulder, and the latter pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

 

 

“Alexander,” Magnus started. Alec lifted his head and turned to look at him. “Just to make things official, would you like to be my boyfriend?” he asked with a grin.

 

 

Alec laughed quietly and nodded. “I’d love to.”

 

 

“Good.” The older man replied.

 

 

***

 

 

“What a load of shit! Anne Boleyn was beheaded, of course she wasn’t the wife who survived Henry VIII!” Alec shouted at the TV. He and Magnus had spent the past half-hour cuddling and watching trivia gameshows.

 

 

Magnus found it quite intriguing that Alec was so well informed when it came to certain subjects in the gameshows. History seemed to be quite a strong suit for him, as did literature. He became very offended if the contestants got any questions wrong that revolves around those two subjects. It was quite humorous.

 

“Catherine Parr was clearly the one to survive, but only because Henry died beforehand!” Alec continued to rant.

 

 

“They can’t hear you, Alexander.” Magnus laughed, as Alec let out a frustrated huff.

 

 

“C’mon though, Magnus! Anne Boleyn!?”

 

 

“I would have said Catherine Howard.”

 

 

Alec blinked for a moment. “Catherine Howa-?” He stopped as soon as he realised that Magnus wasn’t being serious. He let out a playful eye-roll and gave him a joking nudge.

 

 

It was around twenty minutes later when Alec moved from the position, and the only reason for it was a cramp that had decided to ruin his comfort. He paced the dorm for a moment, to stretch his muscles.

 

 

He brought his arms above his head and attempted to stretch his back. His shirt rode up ever so slightly, allowing a brief visual of his waistline and stomach. It wasn’t much, however it was enough to allow something to catch Magnus’ eye.

 

 

"A tattoo?" he questioned.

 

 

"Hmm?" Alec asked, suddenly bringing his arms back down, causing the ink to become covered again.

 

 

"You never told me you had a tattoo, Alexander."

 

 

"Tattoos. Plural." Alec replied, a slight blush forming across his face.

 

 

"Right now, I'm more interested in that one." Magnus spoke, raising Alec's shirt slightly to get a better look at it.

 

 

The tattoo showed four wavy lines, that came together to form the shape of a flame. It seemed to be a symbolic tattoo, however Magnus couldn’t figure out what it was or what it represented.

 

 

"Ohh... uh- it's actually just our family crest." The blushing man explained, pulling the shirt back down. “It’s tradition for our family to wear the crest. I also have the Lightwood ring, but rings aren’t really my thing so I decided getting it tattooed on me would be a better way of me representing my family.”

 

 

"It's beautiful." Magnus expressed.

 

 

"You're beautiful." Alec replied suddenly. Magnus' gaze immediately met Alec's, who seemed equally as shocked as he was. Magnus immediately realised that Alec wasn't expecting this to come out of his mouth, which caused Magnus' facial expression to soften.

 

 

"Why thank you Alexander. As are you, my dear." He finally replied, leaning forward and capturing Alec's lips in a small kiss.

 

 

Alec let out a mental sigh of relief when Magnus didn’t question his sudden statement. His natural reaction allowed him to relax and not feel as embarrassed as he could have felt.

 

 

“Can you do me a favour please, Alec?” Magnus asked after a short pause. The other nodded, allowing him to proceed. “Please don’t feel any sort of embarrassment or shame by saying things like that. I love it, I just think that I’d love it even more if you felt more comfortable about doing it.”

 

 

Alec sighed softly. “I know, it’s not that I’m not comfortable with it, I’m just not used to… this, and I don’t want to say anything that might screw this up.”

 

 

“You could never screw this up by saying sweet things like that, Alexander.” Magnus reassured. “In fact, calling me beautiful almost made me blush.” He added with a wink.

 

 

Alec laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

 

 

Magnus grinned and a thought popped into Alec’s mind.

 

 

“Is uhh… is now a good time to mention that I was really tempted to hold your hand on the way back to the dorm?”

 

 

Magnus cocked a brow. “Really?” He asked, genuinely surprised.

 

 

“Yeah… the only reason I didn’t was because… well you know… but I wanted to.” Alec admitted. “Plus, I was afraid you’d pull your hand away and reject me.”

 

 

“I would never reject the opportunity to hold your hand Alexander, okay?” Magnus spoke. “Keep that in your head for the future. Maybe when you eventually come out, you’ll feel confident enough to hold my hand without a care in the world about the public opinion.” He added with a smile.

 

 

Alec felt a sudden urge to take hold of Magnus’ hands there and then; and so he did. “I hope so.” He said softly.

 

 

“I’ll say this though Alexander, the fact that you even thought to take hold of my hand,” Magnus started, lightly squeezing Alec’s hands in the process. “that is a huge step in itself. It’s like I said a while ago, we’re taking this one step at a time, and the day will come where you will be at a stage where you will act on your urges, no matter if it’s in public or privacy.”

 

 

“I know, and I’m sorry that I’m not there yet.”

 

 

“Stop apologising. I’m proud of you, Isabelle is proud of you, and your friends are proud of you. I’m certain that as soon as you come out to the rest of your family, they will be proud of you too.” Magnus reassured.

 

 

Alec smiled and nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

 

 

“Of course I am.” Magnus joked. “Now I don’t know about you, but I’m getting bored of gameshows now. Why don’t we switch to a movie instead?”

 

 

Alec smiled. “Sure, I think my mind may explode if anyone gets another simple question wrong.” He replied.


	5. Of Car Rides and Hand Holding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Christmas Holidays upon them, Alec discovers that Magnus intends to spend Christmas and New Year alone, due to Cat not being able to get time off work. Being the selfless man that he is, he wants Magnus to come and spend the holidays with him and his family.

“What day do you finish for the Christmas holidays again?” Izzy asked. Alec glanced up from his revision and looked as his brother and sister through the screen of his tablet.

 

 

“I finish my last class at five on Friday, so two days from now. I’ll set off on Saturday morning so I should get there for around three-ish.” He replied sincerely.

 

 

“You’re banned from studying whilst you’re here.” Jace spoke. “You already told us that exams don’t start until May, so a couple of weeks isn’t gonna affect anything.”

 

 

Alec opened his mouth to protest but Izzy beat him to it. “It’s called a Christmas _break,_ Alec, not a Christmas revision session. We don’t want you stressing, we want you relaxing.”

 

 

Alec wanted to try and protest once again, but he was also incredibly moved at how much his siblings cared for him. It certainly wasn’t new information that he was loved by his siblings, but it was still always surprising when he experienced this from them. He sighed and gave in with a smile. “Fine.”

 

 

“Hey, it’s an excuse for you to meet Clary too!” Izzy exclaimed.

 

 

“Who?” Alec questioned.

 

 

“My girlfriend.” Jace replied. “Remember that girl I told you I was going on a date with back in September? Well the date actually went amazingly and now we’re a thing.” He explained.

 

 

“Oh yeah!” Alec spoke, suddenly remembering the conversation that Jace was referring to.

 

 

_On the topic of romance, I’m in a relationship with my roommate Magnus and I’m totally crazy for him. He is kind and understanding, talented and stylish, caring and beautiful. Yes he’s a guy, we’re in a same-sex relationship. I’m gay Jace, Izzy knows, but you don’t… which is why I can’t actually say this out loud… Not yet anyway._

 

 

 “I’m really happy for you Jace.” He said instead of the reply he had in his mind.

 

 

“Speaking of Clary, we’re going to the movies tonight so I’d better go and get ready. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, yeah?” Alec’s brother announced.

 

 

“Yeah, sure thing. Have a great time.” Alec replied with a smile.

 

 

With Jace now gone, Izzy changed the subject. “How are things over there?”

 

 

“Things are actually great. I’m ahead of schedule for my assignments, so I’ve had plenty of time to spend with Maia, Simon and Underhill.”

 

 

“And Magnus?” Izzy asked with a smirk.

 

 

“Yeah, him too. He joins us at the Coffee House on weekends, so I get to hang out with him too.” Alec answered. He smiled to himself slightly, remembering all the time they’ve spent together lately.

 

 

“When do I get to meet the famous roomie?” She proceeded to ask.

 

 

“If he ever comes near our neighbourhood, then maybe you can meet him then.”

 

 

“He knows too doesn’t he? Y’know, about being gay.”

 

 

“Yeah, I mean I didn’t intentionally tell him, he just happened to be in the room when we were talking about my sexuality, so I had no choice but to admit it.” Alec replied.

 

 

“I’m assuming he was accepting?” She noted.

 

 

“Very. I mean, he’s bisexual himself, so it was nice to have someone who truly understood what it was like to accept themselves for who they are.”

 

 

“I’m so glad.” Izzy said softly. “Listen, I’m going to get a bath and then settle down for the night, so I’ll let you get on with your work. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

 

 

“Alright then, I’ll talk tomorrow. See you later, Iz.” He replied. “Love you.”

 

 

“Love you too, big brother.” She responded, before hanging up the video call.

 

 

Alec always loved talking to his brothers and sister. They always managed to make him smile and forget about any worries that haunted his mind during that time. He could laugh with them, joke with them, and relax around them, but of course there was always one thing that prevented him from acting completely like himself, which was the secret he had held since he was a young teenager. Telling Isabelle was a huge weight off of his shoulders, and he was sure that it would be the same when he eventually told Jace and Max too. It was just a matter of finding the right time to tell them.

 

 

Alec suddenly came back to reality, when he heard the door shut. He focused on where the sound came from and was happy to see his boyfriend removing his jacket after his final lesson for the day.

 

 

“I’ve been working on my garments for over a month now and now they’re asking for one more piece as the main body of the collection. I don’t have time for this shit.” Magnus sighed, as he started walking towards Alec. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss to the top of his head. “Sorry, I was rambling to myself. How are you, Alexander?”

 

 

“Clearly doing better than you right now.” The latter chuckled softly. “I just got off the phone with Izzy and Jace, plus my boyfriend just got back, so I’m doing pretty well, thanks.”

 

 

Magnus hummed at Alec’s remark. There was a noticeable difference with how comfortable he was with saying romantic things like that; especially over the past few weeks, starting when Magnus brought it up. There was a much more natural flow to the way Alec spoke to Magnus. He was certainly getting used to this relationship and was starting to do romantic gestures without asking first.

 

 

For example, a few days prior, Magnus was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, and he suddenly felt two arms encircle his waist, and a head rest on his shoulder. He knew that familiar warmth and allowed himself to relax in Alec’s hold. He said nothing, but he didn’t need to. They just smiled at each other in the reflection of the mirror and enjoyed each other’s presence.

 

 

The week before that, Magnus didn’t start lessons until a couple of hours after Alec did, and therefore he was able to sleep in a little longer. He could hear Alec rummaging around the dorm as quietly as he could, getting ready for his first lecture. Magnus continued to keep his eyes closed, not wanting to accept that he was starting to wake up. Just before Alec left, Magnus suddenly felt a soft pressure on his forehead. A kiss. It was a small gesture, but it still made Magnus’ heart swell. The concept of Alec saying goodbye to him with a forehead kiss was adorable. Just before the door closed, he heard Alec whisper _“I’ll see you later on.”_

 

 

He was still struggling to act like that in public, however compared to around a month before these events occurred, he had made huge progress. He was so proud of how far Alec had come, especially since the start of the academic year. Things could only keep going up.

 

 

“I must admit, coming back to you has certainly brightened my day up too, Alexander.” He finally responded. “I hope your family is well.”

 

 

“They’re great actually. Jace has an actual girlfriend for the first time in a long time. Before that, he’d only have flings. Izzy is top of her class, which is great since it’s her last year of high school. Max had started taking karate classes and is loving them, and finally, we found out that our Mom is going to be able to spend Christmas with us for the first time in almost seventeen years.” Alec explained.

 

 

“Seventeen? Is her work that demanding?” Magnus asked.

 

 

“Her work isn’t, my Dad’s is. He owns his own business and so he has to keep his reputation maintained. He is always going to dinner parties, including one on Christmas Day. He would force Mom to go with him to make his status seem even higher, so she wouldn’t be able to stay with us on Christmas. Now that they’re finally divorced, Mom doesn’t have to join him.” He clarified.

 

 

“Wow. You said your Dad cared more about his work than his family, but I never realised how much you meant it.” Magnus spoke, clearly shocked at Robert’s actions.

 

 

Alec laughed. “Yeah, but it means I don’t have to be around him and his hateful attitude 99% of the time, so we don’t really care.”

 

 

“That is certainly a positive point, I suppose.” Magnus replied.

 

 

Alec smiled and focused back on his book. Magnus noticed his revision.

 

 

“How much more do you plan on doing before I get to relax with you?” He asked softly.

 

 

“Not too much, I just want to finish this chapter and make notes on it- then I’ll be all yours.” Alec replied sincerely. He checked the next few pages quickly. “There’s only three pages left actually, so it won’t be too long.”

 

 

“I’ll hop in the shower whilst you finish then.” Magnus decided, before turning and heading for the bathroom.

 

 

***

 

 

***The next day***

 

 

“Be honest with me, Alec.” Maia said. Alec looked at his friend with curiosity and uncertainty.

 

 

“... What about?” He questioned.

 

 

“Whilst it’s just you and me, I need to know something.” She continued. Alec said nothing, so she went on. “It’s been bugging me for weeks now, so I need clarification... Way back when you first introduced Magnus to us, you seemed to really enjoy his presence. I also noticed that you kept looking at him in a way that... well... in a way that other people wouldn’t look at their roommates.”

 

 

Alec gestured for her to continue. A faint blush was creeping across his face upon noticing just how much Maia had noticed.

 

 

“Alec, do you have a... thing for Magnus? You can be totally honest with me, I won’t tell anyone. It’s just really messing with my mind.”

 

 

“I wouldn’t say I have ‘a thing’ for him... I’d say more that we _are_ a thing.” Alec admitted with a smile.

 

 

Maia’s eyes widened and her breathing increased its pace slightly. “Wait- you’re... together!? Like _together_ together?!”

 

 

Alec nodded coyly, his blush slowly turning a deeper shade of pink. Alec was expecting her to start freaking out, but instead, he just felt her pull him in for a hug.

 

 

“Alec you have no idea how happy I am for you. Now the hand on your leg makes so much sense.” She spoke. “You both make an amazing couple. I can’t wait for you to one day feel comfortable enough to express how you truly feel in public.”

 

 

Alec smiled and hugged her back. “Thanks Maia. Maybe one day soon I’ll be able to hold his hand without worrying about others.”

 

 

They let go of each other and smiled. It was so nice that someone other than himself and Magnus finally knew that they were a couple. He trusted Maia with his life and knew that she would never betray his trust by telling others without his permission. He also trusted Simon and Underhill and knew that he could tell them without any worry also.

 

 

“Listen uhh, if you want Simon and Underhill to know too, then I’m cool with them knowing. Just make sure they know not to tell anyone else though, yeah?” Alec told her, earning a nod from Maia.

 

 

“You can count on me.”

 

 

***

 

 

Alec returned to his dorm later on, after finally leaving Maia’s dorm. Magnus was laid on his bed, on the phone to someone. He assumed it was Catarina, Magnus’ close friend. Magnus glanced over at him and smiled sweetly.

 

 

Alec kicked his shoes off and hung his coat up on the stand. He didn’t speak, as he didn’t want to interrupt Magnus’ call, so he silently walked over to his bed and pulled out his smaller suitcase from underneath it.

 

 

He heard the faint voice of Magnus talking, and managed to pick up on him saying his farewells.

 

 

“... yeah, you too. Bye Cat.”

 

 

“How did I know?” Alec said enthusiastically, without looking around. He laughed softly.

 

 

Magnus immediately knew about what Alec meant. He chuckled and replied. “Who else?” He noticed the suitcase and became curious. “What’s that for?”

 

 

Alec turned around. “I’m spending Christmas with my family, and I’m heading off on Saturday morning. I finish my last lecture pretty late tomorrow, so I’ll probably be too tired to remember to pack, hence why I’m doing it now.” Alec explained.

 

 

Magnus let out an ‘ahh’ sound to express his understanding. “Of course, you are, I should have known that you were packing for the holidays since you told me about it yesterday.” He laughed.

 

 

“Yeah.” Alec replied, laughing with him. “I take it you’re spending Christmas and the New Year with Cat?”

 

 

“Actually no. Cat has been told that she’s got the night shift on Christmas Eve, so she’s gonna be too tired to focus on Christmas Day. I told her to rest and that I’d stay here for Christmas.” Magnus replied.

 

 

Alec’s expression turned into sadness. The concept of Magnus spending Christmas all alone was heart-breaking for him. He couldn’t let that happen- not when there was an open invitation for him to join Alec and his family.

 

 

“I don’t think so.” He simply said. Magnus cocked a brow in confusion. Alec sighed and walked over to Magnus’ bed, where he took out his own suitcase. “There’s no way I’m letting you spend Christmas and the New Year on your own.”

 

 

“Alexander, I’m afraid I don’t completely understand what you mean...” Magnus admitted.

 

 

“I mean that you’re spending the holidays with me and my family this year, Magnus.” Alec clarified. “Izzy would love to meet you anyway, this is the perfect opportunity for you to meet my family. Besides, when I eventually tell her that I’m dating you, I’d much rather it be in person, with you at my side.”

 

 

Magnus blinked, and slowly stood himself up from his bed. “Alexa-“ He cleared his throat. “Alexander, I don’t want to intrude on your family celebrations-“

 

 

“You wouldn’t be! They’d love to have you there. You can bond with Izzy over fashion and get to know the rest of my family. Honestly, you’re very welcome there.” Alec quickly rambled on. “I mean, I can’t force you, but I’d love you to come. It’ll be our first Christmas and New Year together.” He added more slowly.

 

 

“Are you sure about this?” Magnus asked softly.

 

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Alec replied.

 

 

“Okay then.” Magnus smiled. He leaned forward and kissed Alec gently. “I’d love to join you all.” He mumbled against his lips.

 

 

This man continued to surprise him. He moved away from Alec and the two began to pack together.

 

 

***

 

 

***Saturday morning***

“Magnus.” Alec whispered softly, using his fingers to brush aside a few loose strands of hair on his face. Magnus stirred slightly and finally opened his eyes after a few seconds more.

 

 

He looked at Alec sleepily, and used as much energy as he had in that moment to give him a smile. Alec could tell that he was still half asleep, and therefore was likely trying to put together where he was and when it was.

 

 

It took a couple of minutes for him to come around fully. Alec spent that time beside him, patiently. “What time did you get to sleep last night?” He joked, when he figured his boyfriend was conscious enough to process questions and actually reply.

 

 

“I don’t know... maybe four?” Magnus replied groggily. He glanced around the dorm with curiosity. “What time is it now?”

 

 

“It’s nine. Jesus Magnus, why did you fall asleep so late?”

 

 

“I stayed in the sewing room late to work on my garments. I need them to be perfect and I only have three months left to finish all eleven outfits. That means full wearable garments, that fit a specific topic, and stand out. They also need to be flawless.” Magnus replied honestly. “I got back at around half three; you were already asleep.”

 

 

“Yeah no shit I was already asleep.” Alec laughed. “Don’t worry, you can get some more sleep in the car if you’re still tired.”

 

 

Magnus gave Alec a livelier smile this time and leaned forward to kiss him gently. “Morning by the way.” He chuckled.

 

 

“Right back at you.” Alec grinned. “I’ll let you get ready.”

 

 

***

 

 

Magnus was surprisingly fast at getting ready. Alec had noticed that right from the start. When he first met him, he immediately suspected that Magnus would take hours to get ready, considering he needed to shower, put together an outfit that was just as unique as him, and also do his makeup. He was actually able to finish getting ready in less than an hour.

 

 

Magnus walked out of the bathroom just over forty-five minutes after entering. He had chosen to wear red and black today and focused his entire look on those two colours. His jacket was crimson, as was his scarf that was hung loosely around his neck. He had a black button up shirt under his jacket, and his trousers were also black, with red and gold patterns all the way down the sides. His eyeshadow was a mix of hot-pink and ruby. His eyes were also able to stand out even more due to the black eyeliner making his eyes bold.

 

 

“So, would you call this ‘meet the family’ appropriate?” He questioned.

 

 

“Of course, it is. I want my family to meet you, Magnus - not some guy who has changed his whole appearance just to meet his boyfriend’s mother and siblings.” Alec explained.

 

 

Magnus smiled and grabbed his bag, filled with essentials for his stay at Alec’s. Alec did the same, and they headed out of the dorm and to Alec’s car.

 

 

Magnus laughed as soon as he saw Alec’s car for the first time. Not at it, of course. “Of course, it’s black.” He chuckled.

 

 

“What did you expect? A pink smart car?” Alec asked with a grin.

 

 

“Not at all, this was exactly what I was expecting actually.” Magnus replied. He threw his back into the boot of Alec’s car, just as Alec had done himself, and climbed into the passenger side.

 

 

Alec pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text.

 

 

**Heading off now, Iz. We might stop for food on the way, so I don’t know when we’ll get there. I’ll text you again once we’ve eaten so you know how close we’ll be. X**

 

 

He locked his phone and placed it to one side. “You okay with setting off now?” He asked. After a nod from Magnus, they finally set off.

 

 

***

 

 

“You know I just realised that this is our first road trip.” Magnus laughed. They had only been driving for around ten minutes.

 

 

“The first of many I hope.” Alec replied, throwing a quick glance at him.

 

 

“I hope so too.” Magnus said. “The car is almost like a private-public event in my opinion.”

 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

 

“Well, a car is not open to the public, so only trusted people get into it, hence what makes it a private space, however we’re also outdoors, travelling. It’s literally a private and public place.” Magnus explained as best as he could. “Sorry that probably didn’t make much sense.”

 

 

“No no I get it.” Alec spoke. “You mean that we’re in public, but no one notices us since we’re in the car, so our conversations and actions are almost completely private.”

 

 

“Exactly.” Magnus added. Alec slowly stilled as he approached a red light. “I brought it up because this is the closest you’ve come to showing affection in public, and I’m really proud of you.”

 

 

“Affection? What do y-“ Alec began to question before stopping himself when he looked down. He was holding hands with Magnus. Had he been doing that from the start?

 

 

“How long have I been holding your hand?” He asked.

 

 

“Well you took hold of it almost immediately after we got off the college campus. Every time you changed gear, you’d let go, but you’d hold it again straight away afterwards.” Magnus responded. “Did you really not know?”

 

 

Alec shook his head. “No... I guess I’m so used to being around you now, that it’s almost instinct for me to do things like that.” Alec spoke. He set off again when the green light came on.

 

 

“I’ll add that to the list of adorable traits you have then, Alexander.” Magnus laughed.

 

 

“Shut up.” Alec replied. His familiar blush started to appear. He changed the subject to avoid Magnus saying anything else that could make it last longer. “Do you want the radio on?”

 

 

“Sure, as long as you aren’t planning on letting go off my hand indefinitely after turning it on.”

 

 

Alec laughed and switched on the first radio station that came up. Fulfilling Magnus’ wishes, he took hold of his hand again.

 

 

“Classic.” Magnus described when the song started.

 

 

“I don’t think this is a classical station, Magnus.” Alec said. “Oh wait- the song is a classic- Jesus fucking Christ I’m slow today.” He mentally facepalmed himself and hoped for a miracle to remove him from this situation.

 

 

“Yes Alexander, I meant this song is a classic.” Magnus laughed. He lightly squeezed Alec’s hand to assure that he wasn’t laughing at him, but rather with him. This helped Alec’s embarrassment to fade.

 

 

“You’re a Queen fan huh?” Alec asked, trying to evade any more opportunities to further humiliate himself.

 

 

“You’re not!?” Magnus replied.

 

 

“Of course, I am! I was just trying to make conversation.” Alec spoke quickly.

 

 

“I know Alexander, I’m messing with you.” Magnus laughed sweetly. “I’m a huge Queen fan. This is certainly one of my favourites too.”

 

 

“Mine too.” Alec said, casually tapping his hands to the beat on the steering wheel as he drove.

 

 

“Mama, just killed a man...” Magnus started singing goofily. Alec could tell he was purposely singing terribly. He couldn’t help but laugh.

 

 

“What’re you-“

 

 

“Put a gun against his head...” Magnus interrupted with a huge grin.

 

 

“Magn-“ Alec chuckled.

 

 

“Pulled my trigger now he’s d-“ Magnus cut himself off this time with a barrel of laughter.

 

 

“I can’t with you.” Alec stated through his chortles.

 

 

“I made you laugh at least, I’d call that a pretty good success.” Magnus smirked. “However, I’m deeply offended that you did _not_ join in!”

 

 

“I have a reputation to maintain!” Alec joked. “Besides, I was saving your ears. Even Izzy is a better singer than me and she sounds like a cat being dragged down an alleyway... and that’s by her own admission.”

 

 

Magnus laughed at this and shook his head lightly. “How sweet of you, Alexander.”

 

 

“I try.” Alec said. He caught sight of a sign on the motorway that read ‘Service Station’. “Hungry?” He asked, pointing to the sign.

 

 

“Starving.” Magnus replied.

 

 

Alec pulled into the service station and parked up safely. Magnus noticed that he didn’t leave the car straight away, so he assumed that he was going to say something.

 

 

“Listen, I know it’s not exactly a fancy restaurant,” Alec began, as he glanced at the fast food restaurant that he had parked close to. “But in a way, I guess that this is our first date... in public I mean.”

 

 

“It doesn’t have to be a date if you’re not ready for it, Alexander.”

 

 

“I want it to be.” Alec spoke quickly. “I mean, if there was ever a time to have a public date, I’d rather it be in a place that nobody knows me. I need to start somewhere right?”

 

 

Magnus smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt. “I say it a ‘lot but I really am proud of how far you’ve come since I met you.” He said softly, and he leaned over and pecked Alec on the cheek, earning a grin from the latter man.

 

 

“Thanks.” Alec mumbled coyly. The two exited the car and walked side by side into the fast food restaurant.

 

 

“I must admit, I haven’t been to a McDonald’s restaurant in almost a year.” Magnus chuckled, as they stood in the queue.

 

 

“Oh god you don’t like McDonald’s do you?” Alec asked, slightly worried that he had made a mistake.

 

 

“No, no I enjoy McDonald’s, don’t worry, I just tend to order take out more than actually going to the fast food chain.” Magnus replied with a smile. Alec let out a mental sigh of relief and smiled back at his boyfriend.

 

 

Once ordering their food, they made their way to a free table and waited for a member of staff to bring their meals over. Magnus noticed that Alec had opted to sit opposite him rather than next to him.

 

 

“Do I smell bad or something?” Magnus asked with a soft laugh, causing the younger man to laugh with him.

 

 

“Of course not.” He chuckled. “It’s just that in the movies, dates usually happen face to face. I figured I’d keep the tradition going.”

 

 

Magnus smiled. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

 

 

“So you keep saying.” Alec spoke as a small blush began to form.

 

 

Their food was brought to them in a matter of a few short minutes and the two ate in a comfortable silence for a little while.

 

 

“How are you feeling?” Magnus asked eventually. This earned an eyebrow quirk from the man sitting opposite him. He quickly clarified. “Being together romantically... in public I mean.”

 

 

“No one seems to care.” Alec spoke slightly quieter than usual. There was a hint of surprise to his tone as he casually glanced around the room. Magnus grinned at his shock. This man was so cute.

 

 

“That’s because it’s almost 2019 Alexander, there’s very few people out there who disagree anymore. Now and again, sure you’ll come across people who might stare or give dirty looks. Once in a while you might hear a sly remark, but you just ignore them and get on with enjoying your life. No one can take away your happiness, Alexander. _No one_.” Magnus stated sincerely. He reached across the table and rested his hand on top of Alec’s.

 

 

Unsurprisingly, Alec was slightly taken back by his gesture and he looked across the restaurant to check for any signs of disgust or reaction. Nothing. Alec was starting to understand now. People don’t care. They are eating their own meals. They are having their own conversations. They are living their own lives.

 

 

Eventually, he just smiled at Magnus and continued to eat, without removing his hand from Magnus’ hold. They continued to eat in silence until they had finished their meal.

 

 

Alec left the building feeling much more comfortable than he did when he walked in. He was walking closer to Magnus’ side, their fingertips occasionally brushing against each other as they moved.

 

 

“Fuck it.” Alec muttered to himself and he grabbed Magnus’ hand gently and laced their fingers together. Magnus was certainly in shock by his action. They were in the car park. _In public_. People were walking past them, and yet his boyfriend had just confidently taken hold of his hand and wasn’t showing any signs of discomfort from it.

 

 

Magnus felt an overwhelming rush of achievement for Alec, as he looked down at their interlaced fingers. He lightly squeezed his hand and continued to walk to the car.

 

 

“Was that another ‘I didn’t realise I was doing that’ moment, Alexander?” Magnus asked softly once they were both back in the car and finally back en route to Alec’s home.

 

 

“No.” Alec replied bluntly. “I wanted to hold your hand, Magnus. No one cared and I just... I’ve wanted to hold your hand like that for a while now... I’m sorry if it was too forward of me-“

 

 

“Don’t apologise for that. Never apologise for that. I’m so unbelievably happy that you found the courage to hold my hand in public, Alexander.” Magnus mentioned before Alec started his nervous, yet adorable, rambling.

 

 

“So, how far away are we?” Magnus added after a moment.

 

 

“Oh shit! I told Izzy I’d text her after grabbing a bite to eat! Magnus can you take my phone and text her for me please?” Alec spoke in a hurry. “My phones in my front right pocket.”

 

 

Magnus nodded and took Alec’s phone from the pocket mentioned. He turned the screen on and smiled at the wallpaper. It showed a photo of himself and his siblings all together smiling. He frowned slightly when he saw that it needed a passcode.

 

 

“Alexander, it needs a passcode.” He explained, looking at his boyfriend who was focused on driving.

 

 

“131718” Alec replied.

 

 

“An unusual set of numbers.” Magnus laughed softly as he unlocked Alec’s phone.

 

 

“It’s Max, Izzy and Jace’s ages.” Alec said. “Don’t tell them, god knows what they’d do if they had access to my phone.”

 

 

Magnus laughed harder this time. “Your secret is safe with me.” He opened the messages app and selected ‘Iz’. “What do you want me to put?”

 

 

“Anything, just let her know that we’ll be there in like ten minutes give or take.” The taller man replied.

 

 

**Dearest Isabelle, this is Magnus. I hope you’re well. Just letting you know that myself and Alexander will be arriving in around 10-15 minutes. Looking forward to meeting you in person. X**

 

Magnus repeated his message to Alec. “How does that sound?”

 

 

“It’s over the top, but then again, over the top is kind of like your middle name isn’t it?.” Alec joked. “It’s great, thanks Magnus.” He added with a smile.

 

 

Magnus returned the smile and sent the message. It was only a minute or so before he got a reply from Izzy.

 

 

**Great, see you both then!x**

 

 

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, until the final couple of minutes.

 

 

“Are you nervous at all?” Magnus asked. “Y’know, with me meeting your family?”

 

 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that, Magnus?” He laughed. “You’re the one meeting them for the first time, not me.”

 

 

“That is true, however you’re the one who is about to introduce your boyfriend to your mother and siblings, as your roommate, and then have to keep that up for the next two and a half weeks.” Magnus replied.

 

 

“I’ve kept my sexuality secret for the past six years. I’m sure I can manage a couple of weeks.” Alec said with a grin.

 

 

He did feel bad for lying to his family and also for making Magnus lie too, but for the moment, he needed to get used to having Magnus around his family, without the added pressure of them possibly rejecting him if they discovered they were a couple rather than friends.

 

 

“Are you sure you’re okay with keeping our relationship a secret? I know I’ve kind of forced you, but-“

 

 

“I’m fine with it, Alexander. It’s no different to being in college, right? Don’t worry about it.” Magnus replied honestly.

 

 

Alec pulled up at the house shortly after. He looked out of the car window and noticed that Maryse’s car was there too, meaning she and Max were already inside. He took a deep breath and spoke.

 

 

“Okay then, let’s get inside.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took a little longer than anticipated. I really appreciate the support that I've been getting for my fic so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! If you need to contact me, feel free to talk to me through my twitter; @TaesMalec.


	6. Introductions and Domesticity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally making it to Alec's home, Magnus finally is able to meet Alec's family in person, however he is yet to be known as Alec's boyfriend. Perhaps that will change soon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm so so sorry for how long it's been! There's been so much going on lately and it's just caused me to go through a complete writers block. I'll be the first to admit that this probably isn't the best chapter I've written but I hope you all enjoy it nevertheless. Thank you everyone who has been to patient with this fic, I know I'm awful when it comes to how often I update. 
> 
> (Special thanks to my girls Chantal, Syl, Elise, Ally and Anna who helped keep me motivated when it came to finishing this chapter)

Alec and Magnus both exited the car and headed to the boot where they took out their suitcases. Magnus took a moment to look at the house in which he would be staying for the next couple of weeks.

 

 

His home looked very appealing from the outside. Flower baskets were hanging by each side of the front door, and there was a colourful arrangement of flowers underneath the front window. His door was red with a single oval shaped window in the top centre.

 

 

It was very different to Magnus’ place since he and Catarina lived in an apartment, on the fifth floor. He was used to only seeing a window or a door in the main corridor as his main exterior, however Alec had a whole house.

 

 

His home wasn’t huge however, it was average sized, but not too small either. It was certainly large enough to house the occupants, which was of course the main priority.

 

 

Magnus hadn’t realised that he was deep in his thoughts until he felt Alec tap him on the shoulder.

 

 

“You okay?” He asked.

 

 

“Yeah, I was just admiring your home.” The older man replied with a small huff of laughter.

 

 

“Yeah it’s not exactly anything spectacular, but-“

 

 

“It’s spectacular to me.” Magnus spoke. “You have a wonderful home, Alexander.” He added, discretely pecking Alec on the cheek.

 

 

Alec smiled and closed the boot of the car. “Let’s get inside then, I’m freezing.” He laughed.

 

 

The made their way to the front door, where Alec, being the gentleman that he was, opened the door for his boyfriend, and allowed him to get to the warmth first.

 

 

The two were greeted surprisingly by all of Alec’s siblings, as well as his mother, who seemed extremely happy to see her son in person again. She walked over and hugged her son lovingly.

 

 

“Alec, it’s so lovely to have you here with us for Christmas!” She beamed, before glancing at Magnus. “It’s nice for you to have brought a guest to join us too.” She added, walking over and giving Magnus a welcoming hug.

 

 

Alec observed the scene before him and smiled. Had this been at a time where his mother was still with his father, she probably wouldn’t have even acknowledged Magnus, especially giving his bold attire. Maryse was a truly loving person, inside and out, and it was such a gift for Alec to finally see her feeling comfortable enough to express that love, now that her controlling ex-husband was out of the picture.

 

 

Alec took this moment to greet his siblings properly. He walked over to Izzy first, opening his arms to her and pulling her in for an embrace.

 

 

“You’re smiling.” She stated, slightly shocked.

 

 

Alec glanced down at her with furrowed brows, in utter confusion. “I always smile, what are you talking about?”

 

 

“I mean you’re smiling... like... _genuinely_. With teeth and everything? Were you abducted by aliens and replaced?”

 

 

Alec had a huge urge to give his sister the middle finger at this in a playful manner, however his mother and little brother were in the room. He thought better of it and settled for giving her a cold stare.

 

 

Izzy grinned at her succession in teasing her brother and allowed him to go and hug Jace too.

 

 

“We’re lucky Alec.” Jace said randomly after hugging. Alec quirked a brow. “Mom is here, so she’s gonna be making Christmas dinner this year. So, a certain younger sister won’t be involved in the cooking.”

 

 

Alec laughed and the two looked back at their sister to see her rolling her eyes and trying her hardest not to laugh along with them. Alec had barely taken another step before Max ran into his arms and hugged him. He laughed at his brother’s eagerness to welcome him home and greeted him lovingly.

 

 

I took a moment for Alec to realise that he hadn’t properly introduced Magnus to his family, and he felt rude for it, so he quickly walked over and looked at his boyfriend and gave him a smile that almost had a sense of apology, before turning back to his family.

 

 

“Guys this is Magnus... my b-“ he froze, realising that he almost gave himself away to his whole family. In a blind panic, he began to fake a coughing fit to cover up his fear. “My uhh...”

 

 

“Roommate.” Magnus spoke up with a smile. He casually began patting Alec on the back, as if the assist him with his fake cough attack. He could tell that he was putting it on, however he figured that joining in on his coverup would make it look more genuine. Alec was immensely grateful for how Magnus helped him out. “Roommate and good friend. It’s great to finally be able to meet you all. Alec has told me an awful lot about you.”

 

 

Alec glanced at Magnus and smiled softly. “All good things though, don’t worry.” Alec added with a small laugh.

 

 

“Indeed.”

 

 

“My fashion guru has finally arrived!” Izzy exclaimed with joy, rushing over to hug Magnus. “Finally, I get to see your talent in person rather than through a screen.” She laughed.

 

 

“Likewise with you my dear, Isabelle.” Magnus grinned.

 

 

“Well you’re more than welcome, Magnus.” Maryse smiled. “I’m afraid my children don’t have a spare bedroom in this house, so-“

 

 

“He can room with me, it’s fine. We have an air mattress in the closet upstairs anyway.” Alec spoke, now feeling much calmer after his earlier freak-out.

 

 

Maryse nodded understandingly and allowed the two to make their way upstairs with their luggage.

 

 

Alec halted outside his bedroom door for a moment, almost like he was afraid to open the door. He was unsure why he was feeling slightly nervous about having Magnus go into his bedroom. They literally lived together in the same dorm, yet this felt more... _real_.

 

 

He quickly dismissed the thought and entered the room, closely followed by his boyfriend.

 

 

Alec’s bedroom was fairly large, but also quite bare, suggesting that he wasn’t really interested in interior decorating.

 

 

His bed was a standard dark oak and had plain black bedding. Magnus frowned slightly when he noticed that he had no cushions, nor a throw to accompany the bedding; although it also didn’t surprise him.

 

 

He assumed that Alec had bought his bedroom furniture from the same collection judging by how they all seemed to match the style of bed. It was quite humorous to him actually; he was certain that he could probably find Alec’s exact bedroom on page 42 of the nearest furniture catalogue.

 

 

His desk had a few photo frames decorating it, and a large, thick, dark grey rug was placed in the centre of the room.

 

 

As plain as his room was, Magnus still admired it, due to the fact that it just screamed ‘Alec Lightwood’s bedroom’.

 

 

Alec placed his bag beside his bed and let out an audible sigh, causing Magnus to laugh.

 

 

“What?” Alec questioned in confusion.

 

 

“I’ve just noticed a pattern, that’s all.” The other man replied, still chuckling to himself.

 

 

“Which is?”

 

 

“That you tend to exhale every time you feel that you can relax after a nerving situation. Mostly after social situations.” Magnus clarified with a smile.

 

 

“I hadn’t realised.” Alec spoke with a small laugh of his own. “Is it irritating?”

 

 

“No, it’s adorable.”

 

 

Alec gave Magnus a playfully grumpy stare; one that made out that he hated being called adorable, yet he couldn’t be mad at Magnus because that’s just how Magnus was.

 

 

The shorter man placed his bag beside his boyfriend’s and moved to sit on Alec’s bed. The latter smiled at him and soon realised that he had forgotten to get something.

 

 

“We have an air mattress in the closet, I’ll quickly go and grab it.” He stated, beginning to walk towards the door. He halted in his tracks before getting there though and turned to face Magnus. “You know, I can take the air mattress and you can have my bed if you want?”

 

 

Magnus quirked a brow. “I’m perfectly content with an air mattress, Alexander.” He hummed. “As long as I at least get a pillow and cover of course.” He added with a smirk.

 

 

“Only the best for our guest.” Alec replied in almost a mocking tone, before leaving the room.

 

 

When Alec returned, he found Magnus sat at his desk, looking at the assortment of photos on both the walls and the desk. His photos were probably the most artistic and interesting part of his bedroom. Alec had little interest in paying attention to the appearance of it, as he only really saw it as a place to sleep in and to relax in. He didn’t exactly think that he’d eventually have anyone, apart from his siblings or mother, go into his bedroom.

 

 

Magnus looked behind him to smile at Alec as he walked in. He noticed he was struggling slightly, carrying not only the box that held the air mattress, but also a foot pump, a duvet and two pillows. He swiftly got up and rushed to assist his boyfriend.

 

 

“You should have told me you were going to get this much stuff, I would have gone with you and helped.” Magnus stated softly, starting to open the box and take out the deflated mattress.

 

 

“It’s nothing, Mags. Honestly.”

 

 

Magnus paused his actions and looked at Alec. “ _Mags_?” He asked, clearly humoured.

 

 

“I guess I figured I’d give it a shot. You know... the uh.... nicknames?”

 

 

“Pet names?”

 

 

“Yeah.”

 

 

Magnus smiled brightly this time and began to continue his task. “I’ve been called Mag by Catarina before, but never Mags.”

 

 

“Sorry, if you don’t like it I can totally go back to Magnus-“

 

 

“I love it.” Magnus cut him off quickly. “It’s sweet, and I feel it’s only fair that you get to call me what you want since you don’t get a say when it comes to me calling you Alexander.” He added with a chuckle.

 

 

Alec grinned but quickly shied away, as if a thought had crossed his mind. “I don’t know if I’d be able to... you know, call you it around others though.”

 

 

“I know, Alexander, and that’s fine. There’ll be a time where you will be able to - and where you’ll be able to say it with confidence.” Magnus reassured. “Notice that I only call you Alexander when we’re alone too?”

 

 

Alec nodded, his face turning back into a smile. “You’re amazing.” He muttered coyly.

 

 

“As are you, and I wish you could see that yourself.” Magnus replied with a softness to his tone.

 

 

There was something so sincere about the way he said that, as if he truly wanted him to believe that he was worth more than he felt he did.

 

 

The two took some time to set up the air mattress. Alec focused on using the foot pump to blow air into it, whilst Magnus set up the quilt and pillows. The instant that the two had the bed ready, Magnus walked back over to the desk, hoping that Alec would follow him.

 

 

To his satisfaction, he did. The taller man walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder with curiosity.

 

 

“What are you looking at?” He asked.

 

 

“The frames.” Magnus replied softly, picking one of them up and smiling down at it.

 

 

The frame showed Alec, Izzy and Jace when they were much younger, perhaps between the ages of three and five, gathered on a sofa. Alec was holding a new-born baby in his arms; a baby that Magnus presumed was the youngest Lightwood sibling, Max. Alec’s smile was incredibly large and whilst the other two were looking directly at the camera, he was looking down at the small bundle in his arms. Magnus couldn’t help but look at the scene in awe.

 

 

Alec knew that Magnus loved taking a glimpse into Alec’s past life. His childhood. Magnus had told Alec that his childhood was very short, as he had to grow up quite fast after his mother passed away. It took a short time for him to realise that the reason Magnus was so intrigued by all of Alec’s photos, was because it was a way of seeing what a _somewhat_ happy childhood looked like. _Somewhat_ being said because Alec did not consider his childhood completely happy - mostly due to his father and how he treat his mother and siblings. Alec never cared for how Robert treated himself however, he just didn’t appreciate his siblings and mother being mistreated.

 

 

Aside from Robert being in his life though, Alec was able to enjoy his childhood, as he was around three incredible siblings and a mother who truly loved her children, even if she was unable to show it as much as she wanted to. Things only became more of a struggle for him when he started discovering his sexuality.

 

 

“You all look so happy.” Magnus commented.

 

 

“Yeah we were.” Alec agreed. “That was the day Mom and Dad brought Max home from the hospital after he was born. Mom kept on asking me to look at the camera, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.” He added with a laugh.

 

 

“You seem truly captivated by him.”

 

 

“I really was. I was only five or six at the time, but I felt such a huge obligation to make sure he was loved and protected throughout his life. I felt it with all of my siblings, but this is the only time that it was practically caught on camera.” Alec explained, smiling down at the photo.

 

 

Magnus returned the frame to its original place on the desk and turned around to face Alec. Their faces were fairly close considering Alec was leaning over Magnus’ shoulder prior to him turning. Magnus almost expected him to jolt away from the distance immediately, but he didn’t. He actually smiled down at the shorter man.

 

 

“You’ve clearly done an amazing job at taking care of your siblings, Alexander.” Magnus said after a short moment.

 

 

“Thank you.” Alec replied sincerely, ducking his head slightly, as he usually did when he was complimented.

 

 

A faint tap on the door caught the attention of both Magnus and Alec. The latter practically leaped away from Magnus in order to create a distance between them. Magnus held in his urge to laugh at his sudden reaction, though it wasn’t an easy task.

 

 

Izzy made her presence known by popping her head through the now-ajar door. Smiling at the two men, she walked into the room and focused on Magnus, who kindly smiled back.

 

 

“How can we help you Isabelle?” He asked politely, sitting himself down on the chair beside the desk, and crossing his legs in a manner that showed he was ready to listen to her. Alec also decided to take a seat, except he chose to sit down on the end of his bed, to let Magnus and Izzy talk.

 

 

“Mom was wondering if you could go into the kitchen and let her know how you prefer your food to be cooked? She doesn’t want to get it wrong.” The younger Lightwood explained, opening the door fully, to let him walk past her.

 

 

“Sure,” Magnus replied, before glancing over to Alec. “Won’t be long.” He added with a discreet wink. One that Alec was comfortable with, as the angle made it unable for his sister to see his gesture.

 

 

Alec smiled at him as he left. Unusually, Izzy didn’t leave the room, instead she closed the door, and sat beside her brother on the bed.

 

 

“Everything okay?” Alec asked, clearly confused.

 

 

Izzy nodded. “I was just wondering what you’re keeping from me.” She explained.

 

 

“Keeping... from... you?” He asked in a perplexed tone.

 

 

“I know when you have your secrets Alec, I knew you had one before you came out to me, so what is it this time?” She continued. “I noticed it the second you walked in. You never smile the way you were smiling earlier. This was a new kind of happy.”

 

 

Alec remained silent, so Izzy made one more attempt. “C’mon Alec, you can tell me. Has Magnus done something? Or Dad?”

 

 

“No, Dad hasn’t contacted me in ages.” Alec told her immediately after she mentioned his name. “And as for Magnus, he’s not done anything... nothing wrong anyways.”

 

 

“So, _it is_ to do with him?” Izzy went on. “Oh my god Alec, do you have a crush on him?”

 

 

Alec began fiddling with his bed sheet nervously, and sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to get out of this anytime soon. “Kind of... but it’s more than a crush.” He admitted.

 

 

“How so?”

 

 

“We’re... kinda... sorta... dating?” Alec spoke slowly, eventually daring to look at his sister’s reaction.

 

 

Izzy’s facial expression was utter shock, but quickly turned into delight. “How long has this been going on!?”

 

 

“A little over two months now.” The older Lightwood said, smiling slightly now that he had finally come clean to her.

 

 

“Oh my god, Alec I’m so happy for you both!” His sister said excitedly. “My fashion guru is my brother in-law!”

 

 

“Keep it down!” Alec hushed, worried that Magnus would hear her say that. “That’s a term you use when you get married, or at least intend to marry the person!”

 

 

“So, you don’t intend to marry him?” Izzy interrogated playfully.

 

 

“Early days Iz, now get out of here before Magnus gets back, knowing that you lied about Mom needing him.”

 

 

“But I have so many questions!” His sister pleaded, clearly wanting to keep talking about this.

 

 

“I’m not discussing it now, Izzy. Can’t we talk about it tomorrow?” He asked. “We can go and get a coffee in the morning maybe? I can maybe get Magnus to come along so that you can talk to us both about it... not mentioning the brother in-law part though.”

 

Izzy smiled. “Alright, but don’t cancel on me.”

 

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

 

 

Izzy leaned over and hugged her brother, whispering a quick “I’m so glad you’re happy.” to him before getting up and leaving.

 

 

It was only a minute later when Magnus returned with a facial expression that suggested that he was completely baffled.

 

 

Alec knew what it was about but decided to go along with it. “What?”

 

 

“Your mother seemed... confused when I said that she had asked to see me.” He said, closing the door behind him. “I then proceeded to explain that Isabelle had walking into the bedroom claiming that you needed to know something about dinner, and she then seemed to understand.”

 

 

“And that understanding was...?”

 

 

“That your sister uses that excuse when she wishes to speak to someone in private.” Magnus replied, smiling slightly. “Is your mother’s theory correct?”

 

 

“Depends. Are you upset?”

 

 

“Why would I be upset Alexander?” Magnus laughed out loud at this. “I don’t expect to be a part of every single conversation that you have.”

 

 

“What if I told you that you were actually the topic of it...?” Alec asked. “Or  rather we were the topic of it?”

 

 

“Wait, she knows?” Magnus quickly stated. “About us?”

 

 

“Well she knew I was hiding something from her because I seemed happier... but a new form of happy, one that she hadn’t seen from me before.” Alec said, using air quotes when it came to repeating what Izzy had told him. “She asked me to come clean, so I did and she’s happy.”

 

 

Magnus’ expression was a mixture of surprise and joy. “Alexander, that’s great!”

 

 

“Yeah... it is.” Alec said with a small huff of laughter, still shocked that he had actually admitted that he was in a happy, same-sex relationship to his own sister.

 

 

It may not have seemed like a huge deal, but for Alec, he had always settled for the fact that he would most likely live the rest of his life without the possibility of being able to find someone, that he genuinely wanted to be with. He envisioned his future being one where he would have remained in the closet, and never found any kind of comfort with his sexuality. Being able to verbally tell not just anyone, but his own sibling, that he was in a relationship, was a major accomplishment for him.

 

 

Magnus sensed Alec’s deep train of thought, and moved to sit beside him, resting his hand atop of Alec’s knee. Alec looked down at Magnus’ hand with a start, and then looked at him with a smile.

 

 

“How do you feel about grabbing coffee with us tomorrow morning?” Alec asked after a moment.

 

 

“I’d love to, I assume it’s an excuse for her to interrogate us about... well, us?” Magnus replied.

 

 

The other man nodded with a laugh. “Yep. Prepare yourself, she goes all out when it comes to questioning.”

 

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His boyfriend chuckled.

 

 

***

 

 

“So, Magnus, have you always been Alec’s roommate or is is quite recent?” Maryse asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

 

 

Magnus looked up from his plate and smiled. “Well, we’ve only been roommates since September, but we hit it off right away and have been... good friends ever since.”

 

 

Alec managed to catch Izzy smirking discreetly when Magnus said the exact words ‘good friends’. There was a short moment where Alec began to worry that his sister may end up accidentally letting slip about not only Alec’s relationship with Magnus, but his sexuality too. He quickly dismissed the thought however, as he trusted his sister indefinitely and he knew that there was a very slim chance that his family noticed her remark.

 

 

“Do you mind me asking why you aren’t spending Christmas with your family?” Maryse continued her conversation. Alec looked at his mother and sighed.

 

 

“Mom, come on tha-“

 

 

“It’s fine Alec.” Magnus interrupted with a smile and a soft shake of the head. There was still something odd about how Magnus called him Alec. Not that he was mocking him, it just... didn’t feel right to be called ‘Alec’ by him. Alexander felt right... but only when it was spoken by his boyfriend.

 

 

Magnus went on to answer Maryse’s question, seemingly unfazed by the personal subject. “I’m not that close with my family, or at least not with my Father. My mother passed away when I was a child, so I had to grow up pretty fast.”

 

 

“That’s awful, I’m so sorry, Magnus.” Maryse replied. She seemed to regret asking, judging by the guilt in her tone. Magnus must have sensed this as he quickly shook his head to dismiss her statement.

 

 

“Don’t worry about it, I ended up being raised pretty much by my close friend, Catarina. They treat me well and I had a good upbringing because of it. I usually spend Christmas with her and her family, however Catarina is working over the holidays unfortunately and her parents live quite a while away.”

 

 

“So, you were going to spend Christmas alone?” Alec’s mother asked.

 

 

“Indeed. I was fine with it though, but Alec wasn’t, hence why he invited me to join you and your family for the holidays.”

 

 

Maryse smiled at this and nodded. “Well that doesn’t surprise me at all.” She said with a chuckle. “My son always has been unbelievably selfless, even when he was a boy. Always putting others before himself.”

 

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Magnus agreed, taking a moment to look at his boyfriend, who wasn’t even looking up from his plate.

 

 

_Even his mother can’t give him a compliment without him shying away._

 

 

Magnus almost wished he had chosen to sit beside Alec, rather than opposite him, because that way he could have at least discretely taken hold of Alec’s hand underneath the table and gave him some assurance that this meal was going well. He could also tell that his boyfriend was concerned by his mother’s question, and he wanted to reassure Alec that he found no offence to the question whatsoever.

 

 

He couldn’t explain that to him at this moment however, so he decided to wait until they were back upstairs. He carefully nudged Alec with his foot, underneath the table, which caused him to look up. Magnus didn’t say anything, instead he just gave him a soft smile and an expression that said, ‘It’s fine, I promise’.

 

 

***

 

“Alexander,” Magnus started once the bedroom door was closed. Alec turned around to look at him. “You went really quiet after Maryse brought up my family.”

 

 

Alec looked down at his feet at this and bit his lip nervously. Magnus sighed softly and walked towards his boyfriend, taking his hand. This caused Alec to look up.

 

 

“Had I found that offensive or difficult to talk about, I wouldn’t have told you on the first day that I met you. I’ve made my peace with my past, and I’m open to talk about it okay?”

 

 

“Sorry...” Alec mumbled.

 

 

“For what?” Magnus asked with a small scoff.

 

 

“Being me.” The other man replied, shrugging as he spoke. Magnus rolled his eyes and cupped his face.

 

 

“Stop apologising.” He whispered, lightly pecking his lips.

 

 

It was strange having Magnus kiss Alec when they were at his house. It seemed so domestic, natural. Of course, all kisses with Magnus felt natural since he was crazy about this man and being with him felt... right. Though there was just an added level of domesticity with it being where Alec actually lived, rather than where he stayed on campus.

 

 

Alec was actually surprised at himself for not worrying about where they were when they kissed just then. It may have been in the privacy of his own bedroom, but it was also where his family lived. Most of whom did not know about their relationship, nor his sexuality. Had this been a few months prior, Alec would have even shuddered at the concept of him joining him at home in the first place. He hadn’t noticed how far he had come since then.

 

 

Alec had a sudden realisation in that moment. He was feeling more and more confident with being around Magnus, not just in private, but also in public. He may have been a bit fidgety when introducing him to his family, but from there he had found a sense of stability when it came to being around him. Maybe he was coming closer to being able to actually come out...

 

 

“Alexander?” Magnus asked, resting his hand on his shoulder. Alec started slightly; however, he smiled at the shorter man and brought his own hand to rest atop of his.

 

 

“You okay?” Magnus asked.

 

 

“Yeah I’m fine, I was just deep in thought.” Alec replied with a huff of laughter.

 

 

“Anything interesting?”

 

 

“I’m just... really glad that I’m in the place that I am right now. I mean, I’m more accepting of myself and much happier... now I have you.” Alec explained, cringing slightly at how pathetic that probably sounded.

 

 

Little did he know that Magnus found Alec being poetic one of the most beautiful things and that every time he said something like that, it made him fall for him just that little bit more.

 

 

“You definitely know how to flatter a man.” Magnus smiled.

 

 

“Yeah right.” Alec laughed, walking over to his bed.

 

 

“Go ahead and not believe me, we both know who is being truthful here though.” The other man smirked.

 

 

***

 

 

Izzy knocked on the bedroom door and called from the outside. “Alec we won’t get the breakfast discount if we don’t get there before ten!”

 

 

Alec rolled his eyes and grinned at Magnus, who was chucking softly to himself as he tied his boot laces. He had already warned his boyfriend that she could be very demanding, especially when it came to her morning coffee. If Magnus thought that Alec was terrible when it came to that, then he was looking forward to seeing Izzy’s obsession would certainly be entertaining to witness.

 

 

“Two minutes, Iz.” He replied, as he smoothened his bed sheets. “We’ll meet you downstairs.”

 

 

They heard Izzy groan before heading downstairs. Alec looked at Magnus and gave him a _‘I’m so sorry that I’m related to her’_ kind of look.

 

 

As if Magnus could read him like a page out of a book, he laughed and shook his head. “Let her be, Alexander. She’s just eager to learn about how we became a couple.”

 

 

“She’s also eager to get her morning coffee at a discounted rate.” Alec replied with a smile. “I can’t really talk though because she gets her coffee obsession from me considering I’m the one that made her first coffee.”

 

 

“Like brother like sister.” Magnus hummed. “Come on.”

 

 

He grabbed Alec’s shoulder and rubbed it softly before walking out of the room, closely followed by his boyfriend.

 

 

Izzy was sat on the kitchen counter when they made it downstairs and was joined by both Jace and another girl.

 

 

She was around the same height and build as Izzy, with curly, red hair that reached just above her waist. Her skin was very fair, just like Alec’s was, and she dressed very feminine. He noticed that Jace had his arm around her, which gave him the assumption that this must have been the famous girlfriend.

 

 

“Hey guys,” Jace greeted with a smile. “We were just heading out, but I figured you’d like to finally meet Clary.”

 

 

His girlfriend smiled sweetly and held her hand out. “Hey, I’m Clary... although I guess you already know that now...” she said, beginning to trail off as she realised how dumb that must have sounded.

 

 

“Yeah, it’s nice to finally meet you.” Alec replied, taking her hand and shaking it. “I’ve heard great things about you from both Jace and Izzy, I hope my brother isn’t too much trouble for you.” He added with a grin, causing Clary to laugh and shake her head. Jace on the other hand shoved him jokingly.

 

 

Alec laughed. “You know I’m fucking with you.”

 

 

“Yeah I know, anyways we’re gonna have to get going before Izzy gives me another death stare for holding you guys up from your coffee.” His brother replied, glancing over at Izzy, whose only response was a sarcastic smile.

 

 

“If looks could kill, my dear Isabelle.” Magnus chuckled. “It was lovely to meet you, Clary.”

 

 

“And you.” The redhead replied sincerely.

 

 

The two said their farewell to the others, before leaving for what Alec presumed was an all-day date.

 

 

“Yes, fine we’re going!” Alec groaned when he saw his sister’s expression. He grabbed his car keys and gestured for the others to follow him.

 

 

He could only imagine the number of questions that his sister was going to come out with, and to be honest, had he been on his own answering them, he likely would have made an excuse to avoid going, however he had Magnus with him, which instantly caused a boost in his confidence.

 

 

Perhaps Magnus was all he needed for him to be able to open up to his family. Maybe he could go back to college… fully out of the closet.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure how often I'll be able to update, but I'll do my best to try and get a routine going. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Feedback is always helpful!
> 
> Twitter: @TaesMalec


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